Tracey Brown
NGĀ IWI
Waikato, Maniapoto
NGĀ HAPŪ
Ngāti Te Kawana, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Koroki Kahakura, Ngāti Rārua.
Ko wai ahau?
Who am I?
Hutia te rito o te Korari, Kei whea te komako e ko,
ki mai koe ki ahau, He aha te mea nui o Te Ao,
He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata.
The korari (harakeke/Flax) plant represents a whānau in a Māori worldview. The rito is the child centered in the middle. It is protectively surrounded by the awhi rito, both parents on either side. The outside leaves represent our tūpuna or grandparents and ancestors.
Korari is a traditional symbol of a community, of unity and the essence of close connections between generations as well as communities. This philosophy reflects the teachings of my tūpuna.
My background hails from generations of Kairaranga (master weavers), ngā Rongoā Māori (traditional medicines) me ngā minita o Te Haahi Weteriana (Methodist Ministers), born and raised in Maniapoto, Otorohanga, where i grew up in and around the Pā Korari alongside my Kuia, my whaea and my whānau.
Ko taku hoa rangatira (My Partner), Pawi Wynyard connects our whānau to Te Tai Tokerau. His blood lines hail from Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manu, Karetu ki Te Hiku o Te Ika o Muriwhenua o Ngāti Kuri i Te Hapua.
Together, we have Ten healthy, supportive tamariki.
Our whānau resides in the most northerly settlement of the Far North on the shores of the Parengarenga Harbour, Te Hapua.
The attributes i share with whānau and communities have been inherited from my esteemed tūpuna maintaining and upholding, ngā Taonga Tuku Iho, Te Reo me ōna Tikanga, Matāuranga Māori, Ritenga Māori, me ngā Mātāpono.
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi
Current Role
Te Kaiwhatu o Te Hikutanga me Kia Piki Te Ora.
GM for Te Hikutanga and Kia Piki Te Ora.
Providing support, guidance, leadership and management across both kaupapa, Te Hikutanga and Kia Piki Te Ora.
Building whānau capacity and capability in our community, increasing their awareness of risk factors to suicide and to raise their knowledge, building strategies that will strengthen whānau wellbeing and resilience, weaving together Te Ao Māori values and restorative practices that provide culturally safe holistic wellbeing approaches to suicide awareness for whānau, hapū and Iwi, ensuring access to rauemi and the types of support whānau need in order to prosper.
Experience in Māori Suicide Prevention
In my previous role with Te Rau Ora, under the National Centre of Māori Suicide Prevention Team, i was given the opportunity to Co-facilitate, Co-ordinate a National Suicide Prevention Kaupapa, Tiaki Whānau Tiaki Ora, A by whānau, for whānau approach to suicide.
This kaupapa wānanga approach to suicide prevention identified Whānau Champions in communities across the country, to enhance their knowledge and confidence in supporting their whānau through tough times with the ability of distributing and sharing information about the tool kits with their wider whānau, increasing their awareness of suicide and to build whānau wellbeing and resilience.
The Tiaki Whānau Tiaki Ora team provided ongoing support to all whānau champions across Aotearoa, delivering additional online training, providing a safe space for Champions to connect with us or each other to ask questions re: what worked, what didn’t work etc...
This is an ongoing journey. To continue to support those affected by suicide, reduce suicide in our communities by building and strengthening our whānau capability and capacity in Muriwhenua promoting mental health and whānau wellness.