Harata Meretana Ma Charitable Trust

Te Oomai Reia Romiromi mātauranga as taught by the late Hohepa De La Mere, has never been for public viewing on social media. You will never find mātauranga of this caliber on google. Our Tohunga of old went to great lengths to keep our ancient healing ways safe from those who may bastardize our mātauranga from not understanding it’s true potential and value. For example, the Tohunga have long known that the energy coming from the practitioner will go straight through to the whaiora. So, if the practitioner is unwell, spiritually imbalanced or egotistical, this same energy will go straight through to the whaiora and make them unwell too. These metaphysical lores of healing also apply to spiritual warfare. What can heal, can also kill. The Tohunga of old could do a chant and kill a bird in full flight. The negative and the positive energies give full power to either heal or destroy.  

I have seen first-hand how both non-Māori and academic Māori take mātauranga and bastardise the true meaning of it. Without having been to wānanga with Tohunga to make sense of the application of our ancient healing ways for yourself or for our whānau then the mātauranga is still only mātauranga. Only once you have applied the mātauranga to your life does it become wisdom.  I trust you will all keep our mātauranga safe for our whānau, our rangatahi and our tamariki so please impress upon them the value of this mātauranga so that it does not go on to social media. Our whānau can’t afford to pay $20k+ to copyright things but that doesn’t stop us from taking our own steps to keep it safe so please be mindful to not give this mātauranga to whānau who will not respected its tapu.

It was drummed into me to not only respect the ways of our Tupuna but to be responsible in turn for ensuring the intellectual property for our mātauranga Māori is kept safe. Understanding that this mātauranga is tapu, the healing Tohunga and Tohunga Ahurewa choose who they want to teach, not the other way round. The authentic Tohunga can see what the tauira would do with the knowledge and what measures he/she would take to keep the mātauranga for our mokopuna yet to come. However, like whakapapa papers, please ensure mātauranga romiromi papers are not on the kai table or around kai. 

WHAKAPAPA OF OUR MĀTAURANGA ROMIROMI

When we examine the whakapapa of romiromi with both the Atua tāne and the Atua wāhine, it shows the perfect synchronicity of the male and female elements working side by side.  The whakapapa goes right back to Ruahine the Atua of Romiromi, who worked with Tangaroa to romiromi Papatūānuku to separate the wai from the whenua. The authentic healing Tohunga (priest/priestess) and Tohunga Ahurewa (priest/priestess of a higher order) have long performed takutaku to invoke both the male and female Atua who are intricately woven right throughout the takutaku.

Hinekorako and Ruamano rode on either side of the Takitimu waka. E ki a Whaea Rose Pere, Hinekorako the rainbow was a tipua and her brother Ruamano was a taniwha. These two siblings raced each other on the Te Wairoa Hopupu Honengenegne Matangi Rau river. HInekorako beat her brother and headed to Te Reinga while her brother Ruamano rested at the awa o Te Wairoa. Click on this link for the pūrākau by Dr Kiwa Hammond.

As mentioned at the wānanga, HInekorako and Ruamano also rode on either side of the Horouta waka from the East coast (1000 years prior to the Takitimu waka).  The Takitimu waka carried the Tohunga both male and female and no doubt they would have bought their mokopuna aboard as mentoring them was a lifetime mission. These two kaitiaki were also on either side of the Horouta waka as discovered in moteatea. As the tuakana to the Takitimu waka, it is no surprise that the same tipua and taniwha were kaitiaki as these magnificent beings are timeless in essence and are still with us in these contemporary times but visible only to the chosen few.

As descendants of the Takitimu waka, our whakapapa goes back to Te Mahia where Rongoamaiwahine was the chieftainess, not Kahungunu. He was born in Kaitaia and was her second husband who killed her first husband at sea.  My Aunties from Te Mahia told me that Kahungunu’s role as her husband was to father her children. As Rangatira Wāhine, she had a small handful of lovers whom she adored. Being a Rangatira Wāhine, she could have whomever she chose to be by her side, and they would have to go to her. 

MASSAGE versus ROMIROMI

Western massage therapy is totally different to traditional Māori healing Romiromi. There are a lot of cowboys out there calling themselves kai-romiromi who have not been trained and mentored by Tohunga.  Some only do a weekend workshop and believe that they are Kai romiromi, but the depth of their understanding shows in their personal and professional practice that is often lacking in ethics and boundaries. There are a number of massage therapists trained in Western styles of bodywork who are now working with ACC. After 30 years of experience in this field, only the trained eye can tell the difference as to whether they have been trained by Tohunga and are still mentored by them. It’s like being able to differentiate the different styles of te reo depending on the region. It took me many years of learning te reo to know the difference. The matatau style of te reo from the rural areas and the classroom taught reo are miles apart and this is something that can’t be taught, it can only come as a realization with years of experience.  Likewise with a new classroom taught kai-karanga or an experienced kuia who has been taught all her life by her kuia on the marae.  Huge difference in caliber.

The romiromi philosophies, rituals and practices are deeply spiritual and ‘up and coming’ practitioners need to be carefully monitored and mentored as they learn. If massage therapists engage in romiromi techniques that they are not trained or mentored in, this can be unsafe for them and nek minute, they become unwell with all kinds of ngangara and behaviours.

Massage has no understanding of ngangara so the lack of training results in spiritual imbalances, mate porangi, and mate wairangi. So, it is vital to stay connected to your body, listening, feeling and identifying any changes so that you can also stay in tune with your mind, your spirit, and your natural environment.   

PUKU RIRI 

This is a place on the body that stores all our strong emotions that we often don’t want to deal with. Old memories stored of experiences we have had that include hatred, jealousy, resentment, rage, and anger. The puku riri needs to be cleared regularly as the ngangara feed on these strong emotions.  Just like the blowfly can smell death, same with ngangara being attracted to the energy of hatred, jealousy, resentment, rage, and anger.  If you are resounding to these strong emotions, this is what will come out in your mahi romiromi. I call it the whakatika o te whare kei roto (clearing the body within). 

CLEANING THE BODY ON THE INSIDE

So many who come to me with chronic incurable diseases don’t drink any water, so the body is paru as resulting in the body being acidic. Disease will thrive in an acidic body. Learning how to make the body alkaline supports your body and your organs to work better for you and to keep away from having an acidic body. 

There are three processes the body goes through over a 24-hour period. This can help you understand how and when to clean the body. During the day, the body is feeding, and at night the body is processes all the food it has eaten during the day.  First thing in the morning, the body is searching for water to clean itself. This is the time to drink water before eating anything otherwise if you drink water with food, then the body will digest the water instead of using the fresh warm water to clean itself. 

Preventative is always better than the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. I discovered this Kombucha recipe that is very strong in probiotics to support the liver, the kidneys, the gut, the colon, and the immune system.  

Recipe for Kombucha 

 A kuia once told me, the philosophy of gardening is little and often. Similarly with caring for the body. Better to feed the body little and often instead of eating so much that you have to lay down. This is how many of us as Māori learned to eat as children. Similarly with caring for the body and its organs that are so loyal to you even though you might have spent a lifetime not engaging with it and even scolding it for not working better for you.  Love and nurture your body so it will continue to love and nurture you.  Please download the Kombucha ingredients pdf in the documents in the menu on the right.  

GINGER 

Ginger has many health benefits and has long been used in various forms of traditional and natural Rongoā.

– supports indigestion, reduces nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, belching

– helps fight the flu, viruses and colds

– supports mothers with morning sickness

– reduces inflammation

– manages weight loss

– help reduce pain and disabilities

– has anti-diabetic properties

– eases irritable bowel syndrome symptoms from

– is effective against menstrual pain

– has anticancer properties – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds

– antimicrobial properties for fighting bacterial and fungal infections

– protects nerve function

– lowers cholesterol levels

Turmeric is a powerful herb that helps prevent and treat a range of mauiui by increasing antioxidants in the body.  it protects the body from free radicals and neutralizes them which in turn balances the immune system in response to inflammation and mamae.

• Assists in joint health, easing mamae with mobility and flexibility
• Supports the memory and healthy brain function
• Provides nutrition for the heart and blood vessels lipid balance
• Helps digestive discomfort, normal liver function and supports detox processes of the liver

 Red and Green Chili peppers are a superfood, high in vitamin C, have small amounts of provitamin A, have most B vitamins and very high in iron, potassium, and magnesium. It also provides relief from back pain, headache, nausea and vomiting. 

• Vitamin C. Chili peppers very powerful antioxidant, important for wound healing and immune function.
• Vitamin B6.  Plays a role in metabolism.
• Vitamin K1.  Essential for blood clotting and healthy bones and kidneys.
• Potassium. An essential may reduce your risk of heart disease
• Copper. An essential trace element for strong bones and healthy neurons.
• Vitamin A. High in beta carotene that converts into vitamin A.

Many years ago, Hohepa Kereopa told us to go out into the sea past the seventh wave to get a bottle of sea water. He told us to whizz it up with capsicum then strain it and give a cup to your turoro and tell them to drink it. Hohepa kept a straight face while telling us that if your turoro is still alive after five minutes then you know that your Rongoā is good. 

Black pepper has a loads of health benefits and is good for digestion, cleaning the intestines and your stomach. Helps with depression, respiratory problems, spinal and joint pain from arthritis. Piperine in black pepper fights inflammation. Peppers enhances brain health, memory and supports us with degenerative diseases like Parkinsons, Dementia and Alzheimers. As well, black pepper improves blood sugar, is effective against cholesterol, increases good bacteria in the gut and alleviates pain.

Cane sugar is what I use to feed my Kombucha culture.  The yeast from the Scobie converts the sugar into ethanol (step 1 of the fermentation process) and after seven days there is no sugar left in the batch. because the bacteria convert ethanol into healthy acids.  I only buy sugar for the kombucha nowadays. Sometimes, when I’ve fun out of cane sugar, I have added icing sugar, honey and maple syrup.  

Covering the kombucha mix with a handee towel and a rubber band. It can’t breathe if you put a screw lid on it. Must only put dried leaves in the kombucha mix not fresh leaves. You will see the baby scobies (fungus) forming in the mix as well.

Now you can put fresh fruit in here at this stage but only for a few days otherwise it will go mouldy then you’ll have to throw the whole batch out. Same with Rongoā leaves, only dried leaves. The scobie can be washed to be reused if you leave the fruit or leaves in there and it goes mouldy. Do NOT put the scobie in the fridge or add hot water to it or it will die. Must feed the scobie between batches or it will go black and die. Remember it is alive! care for it and it will care for you!

Ingredients

I large Jar – 2 litres – K-mart

Fresh Turmeric

Fresh Ginger – big piece about ¼ size of your hand  

Black peppercorns – handful

1 Cup of sugar

Lemon – slices – optional

Tea bags x 6

Bottle sparkling water 99c

Preparation

Boil kettle and fill 2 litre jar up ½ to ¾ of the way up with warm/hot water

Add 6 tea bags

1 cup sugar

Slice up 3 or 4 pieces of turmeric and a good hunk of fresh ginger

Handful of peppercorns

Lemon – optional

Leave overnight and then cover with a handy towel and a rubber band

2^nd part

In the morning, take the tea bags out when cold and add the scobie then cover with a handy towel and a rubber band for 7 days. I add dried kawakawa, karamu, tataramoa, and kumarahou leaves too depending on what my intuition is telling me to add

3^rd part

Leave the mix in a dark cupboard for 7 days then strain it into a jug. Then empty into bottles – about ¾ full then fill the remainder of the bottled up with sparkling water but leave a gap of about an inch. Screw on lid and store in dark cupboard.

Storing the Scobie – Put the Scobie in a jar with a little sugar or a piece of food to feed it. Remember it needs feeding as it is alive. Put the handy towel on and store back in a dark cupboard until you make your batch.

 I drink about 1 cup of Kombucha every day as a preventative for my immune system. I can drink a whole bottle at a time for pain relief or to manage inflammation. Last for about 2-3 hours. 

Note: Download the Kombucha recipe PDF in the Documents. It has pics of each stage.

In the Documents file in the menu the right you will see the pdf of Tony O’Connor’s doctoral thesis from 2007 from the University of Auckland. He was non-Māori and observed Papa De La Mere’s work and his healers for 2 years. Ngāti Kuri Tohunga said Tony had asked what Te Oomai Reia meant for years as he didn’t get it.  Still, his doctoral thesis was a good effort even though he translated our mātauranga from the Māori dictionary as you will see.  Our old reo cannot be translated from the contemporary Māori dictionary because the words used then belong to te ao tawhito.  Papa De La Mere taught Te Oomai Reia in te reo anake an old style of reo that is rarely spoken today.  

On the upper right corner, you will see the let’s Romi quiz. See how you go with that one, whanau. 

Let’s Romi Quiz