Toitū Hauora Season 5

Dr. Allison Kelliher (Koyukon Athabascan/Dene) is a family medicine specialist and Director of the Johns Hopkins Indigenous Research Center. She has dedicated her career to integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge and medicine within modern academic and health institutions. We talk with Dr. Kelliher about her leadership journey from grassroots to academia, the challenges and opportunities of i...

Dr Hera Black is the current Te Pou Whakarae, Chief Advisor at Whānau Āwhina Plunket. Previously the Chief Advisor Māori, Dr Black was instrumental in implementing Kaupapa Māori strategies that strive for better health and wellbeing outcomes for all whānau and mokopuna in Aotearoa. Her career spans more than 20 years within the education sector. She is a proud champion of Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Mā...

Dr Diane Paloma is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaii Dental Service (HDS), which offers Hawaiʻi families affordable dental plans to maintain healthy smiles and total body health. She was previously the Chief Executive Officer for the King Lunalilo Trust and Home and a former Director of The Queen’s Health Systems, Native Hawaiian Health Program. We talk with Dr Paloma about her l...

Professor David Tipene-Leach has dedicated his career to improving Māori health and driving systemic change in public health, medical education, and Indigenous research. As a general practitioner and public health physician, he has played a pivotal role in shaping Māori health strategies and has been a relentless advocate for culturally responsive healthcare. We talk with Prof. Leach about his lea...

Donna Matahaere-Atariki is the current Chair of Te Kaika. She has a background in education, health, social services, and governance, with experience at the Gambling Commission and the University of Otago. She was previously Chair of Te Kāhui, the Māori Advisory Group to Aroturuki Tamariki, the Independent Children’s Monitor. Donna has strong knowledge of child protection, hapū, and hapori, and ex...

Madison Cachagee (Mushkegowuk, Chapleau Cree First Nation, Canada), Kelli Owen (Kaurna, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri), and ally Penelope Smith are reshaping Indigenous leadership in academia and beyond. They bring together advocacy, research, and systems change to improve Indigenous health and education. We talk with Madison, Kelli, and Penelope about their leadership journeys, the progress made so far,...

Emma Rawson-Te Patu (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Haua, Ngāti Maniapoto) is the President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and a recent appointee to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. As an Indigenous public health leader, systems change specialist, and human rights advocate, Emma works to decolonise global institutions and strengthen Indigenous networks wo...

Geoffrey Roth (Lakota – Standing Rock, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Cedar Rock Alliance) and Alejandro Bermudez del Villar (Mestizo ally, Cedar Rock Alliance, IDHA) are leaders in advancing the Indigenous Decolonizing Human Rights Approach (IDHA). Together, they explore the IDHA framework, the evolution of the UN in supporting Indigenous rights, the WHO Resolution on Indigenous Health,...

Clyde Smith (Te Whānau-a-Kai, NZ) and Dr. Ana Lucia (Brazilian Indigenous Peoples researcher and public health expert) are driving innovation in Indigenous health, leadership, and climate action across Brazil and Aotearoa. In this kōrero, they share their experiences with culturally grounded healthcare, the resilience of Indigenous women leaders, and the role of collective intelligence in addressi...

Dr Mara Andrews has many years of experience in Indigenous development across various sectors. After an extensive public sector career, including stints with the Department of Māori Affairs, Māori Land Court, Māori Trust Office, and the Health Funding Authority (HFA), Mara moved on to set up Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Ltd (NZ) in 2000. In 2008, she successfully opened another office in Canada, where...

Dr Ricky Bell is a trained physiotherapist and has thirty years of experience in various clinical roles. Over the last decade, his interests have diversified to include specialist research, allied health leadership, governance, tertiary teaching, workforce development, regulatory, and advocacy roles. Ricky has been fortunate to contribute to or lead three of the four physiotherapy programmes curre...