MEET OUR PRACTITIONERS
Founder, Pou Rongoaa
Ruatau Perez
Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi
Privileged to have trained under Papa Joe for 10 years until his passing, Ruatau has been a Rongoaa practitioner and run wananga/workshops under Te Maurea both in Aotearoa and around the world since the year 2000. First introduced to mirimiri as a child by his grandmother and later training under Papa Joe, Ruatau continues to practice and share the art of our sacred healing traditions.
"It was an honour to have studied under Papas tutelage while he was alive and with my partner Hannah (Ngāpuhi) we continue to be guided by him through wairua/spirit. Weaving the threads between Papatūānuku and Ranginui, guided by the Whare Wananga Lore, Nga Atua/gods and our own Tūpuna/ancestors we are humbled to weave the ancient Māori philosophies into this modern ever changing world."
After settling in Te Waipounamu, Ruatau and Hannah were led to start Te Arateatea Trust in 2019 and open a Whare Hauora in Ōtautahi.
Pou Kaiwhakaora | Lead Practitioner
Esha
Waikato-Tainui, English, Welsh, Irish, Scandinavian, Eastern European
"Mehemea ka moemoea ahau, ko ahau anake. Mehemea ka moemoea taatou, kataea e taatou"
Princess Te Ouea Herangi
If I dream, I dream alone. If we dream together, we can achieve it
Hapūtanga kaiwhakaora | Pregnancy Practitioner
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Nicole
Ngāi Te Rangi, Te Awara, Ngāti Maniapoto, Scottish, Irish
"Maa te huruhuru ka rere te manu"
Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly
Powhakahaere | General Manager
Lesley
Nō ngā iwi o Ngāti Māhanga, Te Wehi, Mahuta me Hikairo. Nō te Norta hoki- Ko Ngāi Tawake ki Tuawhenua.
"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini"
"My success is not mine alone, but the success of a collective"
Kaiwhakaora | Practioner
Whitu
Ngāti Kahangunu ki Wairarapa
"E hara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini"
"My strength is not that of one, but of many"
_heic.png)
Hapūtanga kaiwhakaora | Pregnancy Practitioner
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Tracy
Te Rarawa, Scottish
"Me aro ki te haa o Hine-ahu-one"
Pay heed to the breath/dignity of Hine-ahu-one
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Gina-Lee
Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Ngai Tahu, Ngā Rauru Ōnuku iwi.
Ngati Huikai te hāpu, No Koukourarata ahau.
"Ka oho te wairua, ka mataara te tinana, ki te aroha, ka kaa te rama e ...."
When the wairua is awakened, when the body is alert, love is unconditional, then enlightenment flows
Tāngata Manaaki
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Haileigh
Rapuwai, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe, Kāi Tahu
"Te toto o te tangata, he kai; te oranga o te tangata, he whenua, he oneone"
While food provides the blood in our veins, our wellbeing is drawn from the land and soils
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Amanda
Ngāti Porou
"Poipoia te kākano kia puawai"
Nurture the seed & it will blossom
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Olivia
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu kī Te Wairoa
"Ma te wāhine, mā te whenua, ka ngaro te tangata"
For women and land, men perish
Tāngata Manaaki
Bella
Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe, Ngāi Tahu
...
Kaiwhakaora | Practitioner
Tiatia
Samoan, Scottish, Irish
"O le fogava'a e tasi"
We are all in the same canoe