Ngā Taonga Mātauranga o Ngā Pou Mana Awards

Tuesday 11th September 2018

PHARMAC and Ngā Pou Mana Māori Allied Health Professionals (NPM) are calling for award nominations for allied health professionals who have had a positive impact on whānau, hapū and iwi.

Allied health professionals make up about a third of the health workforce. They include such professions as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, speech and language therapists, dietitians, podiatrists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, psychologists, counsellors, osteopaths, nutritionists and massage therapists.

Teah Carlson, Deputy Chairperson for NPM, says the awards are to support Māori allied health workforce development, so that people can continue study, to grow professional and cultural practice. The awards will provide much needed tautoko and manaaki for Māori kaimahi to continue their ongoing development. The awards will be run annually and will be presented at the Ngā Pou Mana Māori Allied Health Professionals Hui-Ā-Tau each year.

Māori currently only make up a very small percentage of the allied health workforce, and these awards provide a small step forward, and an opportunity to help grow that workforce.

Teah Carlson says: “We also recognise that the workforce is changing with the likes of Whānau Ora, the revitalisation of rongoā Māori practices, and Iwi and kaupapa Māori services”.

“So we have tried to ensure the awards are inclusive and acknowledge the changing landscape. We are very supportive of kaupapa Māori approaches and believe that these can be incorporated alongside biomedical models of health…. and we are big supporters of whānau being able to have choice and options so that they can determine what they require in order to promote or enhance their own health and well-being. That is the beauty of the diverse range of knowledge and skills that can come from these allied health fields”.

PHARMAC’s Kaiwhakahaere Whakarata Māori, Ātene Andrews, says the awards further PHARMAC’s support for Māori health workforce development. This is part of one of the pou outlined in Te Whaioranga, PHARMAC’s Māori responsiveness strategy.

“We see these awards as another incentive to the development of the Māori health workforce. We know that whānau really value having access to Māori health practitioners right across the spectrum, so we’re delighted to support this initiative.”

Nominations for the awards open on Wednesday the 12th of September and people can find the applications and criteria on the Ngā Pou Mana website www.ngapoumana.org.nz and the PHARMAC website https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/maori/scholarships/

About the awards

Ngā Taonga Mātauranga o Ngā Pou Mana awards will be offered in THREE categories.

Category One – Ngā Pou Mana Kete Tuauri for Undergraduates $2,000

The Pou Mana kete that holds the knowledge of ritual, memory and prayer.

This award is open to those studying in undergraduate allied health pathways.

Category Two – Ngā Pou Mana Kete Aronui for Postgraduates $2,500

The Pou Mana kete that holds the knowledge that helps mankind.

This award is open to those studying at postgraduate level in allied health pathways.

Category Three – Ngā Pou Mana Mātauranga Māori $3,000

The Pou Mana award which helps learning the knowledge of things Māori.

This award is open to any Māori allied health professionals, students, associates and affiliates, who are entering into study or are in study to build their understanding of Te Ao Māori. Students do not have to be studying in an allied health pathway, but must be members of Ngā Pou Mana, working or studying in Māori and/or health related fields.

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