Tūruki: Career pathway support for Māori in health

Tūruki! Tūruki! Paneke! Paneke!
He tohu nā Josh Hurae
He uri ia no Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Tuwharetoa me Ngāti Awa

Tūruki was developed in 2008 as a partnership between Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, Ngāti Kahungunu and Hauora Māori providers. Tūruki is a direct response to addressing the health needs of Māori people in Hawke’s Bay, aiming to build a hauora workforce that represents our people.

Tūruki comes from the saying “Tūruki! Tūruki! Paneke! Paneke!” when rangatira worked together to pull the waka up onto shore by means of rolling planks. Tūruki means to travel by short stages and Paneke means to move forward. Tūruki acknowledges Ngāti Kahungunu, the Hawke’s Bay District and the importance of growing the number of Māori in health.

As Tūruki derived from the kōrero regarding the waka, it was fitting we researched back to the Takitimu waka. Ruawharo and Tupai Whakarongo Wananga were the priests on board. The Takitimu waka had 6 hoe or paddles, 4 of which were used by Ruawharo and Tupai and were named Rapanga i te ati nuku, Rapanga i te ati rangi, Maninikura and Maniniaro. 2 were used by the captain Tamatea Arikinui for steering and were named Tangi-wiwini and Tangi-wawana. The hoe in the tohu represents the 6 hoe that supported the journey of te waka tapu o Takitimu.

When arriving to Aotearoa, 4 neke or rollers were used to haul the waka onto shore and were named Te Tahuri, Mounukuhia, Mouhapainga and Manutawhiaorangi. Mouhapainga and Manutawhiaorangi are said to have supernatural powers. The four neke are lying horizontally just below the hoe. While using the neke, our ancestors recited, “Tūruki! Tūruki! Paneke! Paneke!”