He Tētē Kura, Māori addiction treatment: 1980-2008

He Tētē Kura reviewed the growth of the Māori addiction treatment sector and examined the lessons for a new generation of workers and leaders.

The title comes from the whakataukī ‘Mate atu he tētē kura, ara mai he tētē kura’. The koru which is often associated with this whakataukī represents birth, regrowth and regeneration and symbolises sustainability and the passing of knowledge and resources from one generation to the next.

He Tētē Kura is an account of opportunities and events up until 2008 from a ‘flax-roots up’ perspective. It was launched at Ōwhata Marae in Rotorua in 2009.

He Tētē Kura highlighted the development of Māori services and practitioners, and also identified directions for building Māori responsiveness in the addiction treatment sector as well as some of the pitfalls to be avoided.