Maori Healers…

Kia ora and greetings,

My name is Atarangi. I am and continue to be a member of a small group of healers who travel the globe sharing and teaching our healing arts of New Zealand. For the global purpose, since 2000 we have called ourselves the Maori Healers of Aotearoa, New Zealand. This, in no way is an indication that we are all there is from this beautiful land.

Over time, it is my intention to share and explore our healing arts with any who may be interested. For now though, this posting is about me and my family, and some of the journeys we have done over the years. At the end of each posting or blog I will talk a little about our healing arts.

I come from a small town called Kaitaia, Northland, NZ. My main tribal affiliations are Ngati Kuri, Ngati Pakahi and Te Rarawa. My marae or tribal home is Te Ohaki on my mothers side, and Te Reo Mihi on my fathers side. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters, so including me we number 8 and I’m the 4th eldest child. And this year I turned 50 years young.

I am blessed with 2 beautiful children that I helped make. They are Gerri-lee, who is 30 and her younger brother Terence who is 28. From Terence and his partner Amia, I have my first grandchild Kiwa. What an awesome and humbling position it is to be a grandparent of some little spirit that you get to support in their physical, emotional and spiritual growth. This year in September, Gerri-lee and her partner Patrick will birth their first child, so my little mokopuna (grandchild) brood is growing and I love it.

My husbands name is Bill. When he came he brought with him 4 sons – Chad who is now 21, Michael has just turned 20, Karl is 18, and Trendin 16. We’ve been married for 10 years this year, and it’s been a wonderful exploration of willingness to learn from each other, grow, challenge and enjoy. I’m so blessed with Bill, in that at no time since we’ve been together, has he ever tried to stop the healing journeys that I do, and there are times that we are away from home for 8 weeks or more. It takes an exceptional person, and this he is…well in my eyes anyway and that’s what counts.

Both my parents are alive and live in Northland. My mothers name is Wiki and my fathers name is Ted. As a young child I was strongly influenced by an Aunt (as well as many others in our community but this one sticks out for me) who was a sister of my mother. She (my Aunt) lived the ‘green’ principles long before it was popular and a necessity in this modern world. Aunty Pearl and her husband Uncle Jerry, lived out at the beach in Ahipara at a place called Te Kohanga. There was an old family homestead where my great grandfather ran his bullock team business – those who may not know what a bullock team is, he had bulls and sometimes horses that would pull wooden wagons which carried cargo that was unloaded from rowboats on the shores of Ahipara.

I was a very tutu (precocious is a nice way of putting it) child. Always challenging my parents, my elders, my brothers and sisters, my teachers, and so on. So because of this behaviour I got to spend alot of time with my Aunty Pearl. She had a knowing and a patience that could calm any of my stormy seas, and as well a respect from all of us, my brothers and sisters as well as my many cousins. In another blog I will share of these times…for now though thank you for reading….

The photo on the right side, is of my niece Jasmin and I. It was taken at her graduation into the ranks of teaching, and we’re proud of her for doing so. And this photo was taken most recently.

The photo below is what I truly like to do when I’m home. I love growing my own garden vegetables, something that I’ve nurtured, watered and watched grow. My fingers aren’t as green as my Dad’s are, but they sure do love the earth. In truth Bill and I are home bodies, so we’re always doing something around our home. One day I would love to have a bigger home and piece of land, in the country and near the sea, so I can have more fruit trees, a bigger garden, a little shetland pony for Kiwa and the other moko’s to ride, chickens and a dog, a natural bush setting and so on.

Kiwa is 2 years young in this photo. When he was first born, we all (his parents and Bill and I) used to live together, so we had unlimited access to him from pre birth and birth, till he was 15 months old. Even though we live in different houses now, we still have as much access as we want to Kiwa or him to us.

Having such a beautiful young spirit as he, has made me realise what a blessing these children are when we’re dealing with them from the grand – parent aspect. I have a deep love and respect for this young man, and will support his journey on this planet. Kiwa has a fearlessness about him, that I will nurture. An exuberance that I will work with him to keep. A joy of things great and small and long may this last. And a spirit that I am committed to be wise counsel in the best possible way for his growth and continued potential on his physical journey in life. How does that happen aye.

And so that is me for now.

Some of the words you will hear us use are;

Paa Gliding Napi Scratching Ropiropi Rubbing (hand on hand)

Pakopako (Percussion – or bend of the hand) Huri Turning (only one way)

The name of the work we do is called Mirimiri. Literally translated it means to massage flesh, bones, tissue, blood, and then move any issues that may need clearing. Within the word Mirimiri, is RI…which means to reflect from within/vibration/feeling/.