About Us
T Ō M Ā T O U K A U P A P A
Our Story
Ngā Maia Māori Midwives ō Aotearoa was formed in 1993 by Māori midwives, midwifery tutors, and their students, to address the inconsistencies in maternity services for Māori in New Zealand.
Registered as a charitable trust in 1994, Ngā Maia became recognised in maternity circles as the ‘voice’ for Māori. By 2008 its role was endorsed by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand (MCNZ), the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM), and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
Ngā Maia is committed to Māori birthing practices that promote the health and well-being of whānau. To whakamana and nurture kahu pōkai/ kaiwhakawhānau in providing holistic, sustainable, quality care steeped in tikanga Māori.
Our values are Mana Motuhake, Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, and He Taonga Tuku Iho.
T Ō M Ā T O U P O A R I M A T U A
Our Board Members
View our Ngā Maia Trust Board Members below:
Jasmine Gray
D E P U T Y C H A I R
LMC
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
My dream for our many mokopuna is to move beyond reclamation and into celebrating our unique identity as tangata whenua.
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
I hope that my experiences in midwifery education will eventually support the development of our first Māori midwifery school. "By Māori, for Māori" is the approach that we know works.
Rua Pokai Regional Roopu
Lisa Kelly
C H A I R P E R S O N
LMC - Practising
Hapū Wānanga Facilitator
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
Taonga tuku iho reclamation and revitalisation of our tūturu birth traditions. Protecting homebirth is my passion as a kahu pōkai.
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
To create safe midwifery spaces for Māori midwives to uphold and protect Te Tiriti in maternity and pave the way for indigenous Kahu Pōkai-tanga.
Waiāriki Regional Roopu
Jacqueline Martin
T R U S T E E
Kaiako Midwifery
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
My passion is to change the midwifery profession at its inception, the Bachelor degree of Midwifery. Nā reirā, Aroha ki te tangata, ahakoa, nō hea, ko wai!
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
My aspirations for Ngā Maia are to support its strategic direction in terms of Rangahau and Education, specifically to operationalise a Māori midwifery school in both, Te Ika a Māui and Te Waipounamu.
Te Wai Pounamu Regional Roopu
Waimarie Onekawa
T R E A S U R E R
Midwife - Practising
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
In my time as an LMC midwife, I worked with whānau living in high deprivation areas, assisting them to achieve their maternity goals. In this role I learned how advocating for myself enhances my ability to advocate for those around me.
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
I want to support and encourage future thinking and aspirational goal setting so that we as Māori are self-determining and self-governing of all our taonga.
Rua Pokai Regional Roopu
Crete Cherrington
T R U S T E E
Midwife -
Non-practising
Te Taitokerau Regional Roopu
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
I deem it an honour to challenge new and innovative ways of learning such that our whanau experience a quality of care and service that creates healing and growth-the provision of expert knowledge and culturally safe care.
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
I am currently the kuia of Nga Maia. I would welcome a taumata kahui of Kaumatua as an advisory roopu to nga Maia trust. Providing opportunities forward for all regions that affiliate to Ngā Maia.
Janet Taiatini
T R U S T E E
Midwife
Te Aro o Hine
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
He uri tenei o Te Uri o Hau, me Nga Puhi tonu.
E noho ana au ki Rotorua.
Ko Simon's raua Waata Papa oku whānau.
Ko Janet Taiatini taku ingoa.
Kei te haere ahau ki Wintec, te ara o Hine-tapu Ora programme. Miharo!
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
My aspirations for Nga Maia Trust is a vision of tuakana teina for all tauira and kahu pōkai and for whānau Māori to have mana enhancing experiences as they move through their haerenga to welcome and nourish their pepi.
We will see this when Māori hands are catching our Māori babies.
Waiāriki Regional Roopu
TeAnna Hema
T R U S T E E
Senior Advisor Commisioning - Hauora Māori Services/Te Whatu Ora
Te Wai Pounamu Regional Roopu
PASSIONATE ABOUT:
Fiercely passionate about wahinetanga I host space across Te Waipounamu and provide wānanga on menstrual cycles, reproductive womb health and hapūtanga from a Te Ao Māori perspective.
ASPIRATIONS FOR NGĀ MAIA:
My aspirations are centred on ensuring that Ngā Maia remains a beacon for the preservation, advocacy, and advancement of Māori Midwifery and Early Years through innovative, yet traditional approaches. Embedding “by māori for māori” solutions to pregnancy and birth for the wellbeing and Mana Motuhake of our whānau.
Our Partners
View our partner organisations below: