Midwives reclaiming tikanga Māori in birthing care across Ōtautahi

A group of midwives in Te Wai Pounamu are on a mission of reclamation, empowering wāhine and whānau by embedding te ao Māori into every part of their practice.

Ōhua Midwives is a Māori-led practice based in Ōtautahi founded by four wāhine who saw a deep need in their rohe for a midwifery service embedded in te ao Māori.

In 2025, Ilah Marie (Ngāti Porou, Whakatōhea), Toni Wieser (Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāpuhi), Kerianne Harmon-Becks (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou), and Kenzie Nahona (Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) graduated from Ara Institute of Canterbury as part of a record-breaking cohort: 10 Māori and two Pasifika midwives, the largest ever at the institute.

Marie said during their studies, they saw a great need for a kaupapa Māori midwifery service.

"On our placements, we realised there was no practice that was kaupapa Māori or te ao Māori driven," she said.

"We all decided while we were there that when we come out we'll establish one, especially for whānau in the east [of the city] … we just wanted to plug the gaps in our communities."

With Māori and Pasifika making up just 10 and 5 percent of all midwives respectively in Aotearoa, the group hope more wāhine from these communities pursue a career in midwifery.

In te ao Māori, the Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, guides many aspects of life, including birth and fertility.

Each moon phase holds meaning, influencing everything from planting kai to whānau planning, rest, and renewal.

The name of their practice, Ōhua, was born from this mātauranga.

While reading the pukapuka Wawata by Dr Hinemoa Elder, a page opened to the phase Ōhua, which was a tohu the group said.

"Ōhua aligns with nurturing relationships and grounding oneself, making it significant for whānau to seek support and prepare spiritually and mentally.

"By honouring this phase, we encourage whānau to stay present, value the collective journey, and appreciate the shared process of bringing new life into the world."

The group explained that in its traditional context, Ōhua was linked to growth, nurturing and life force.

"Making it favourable for planting and cultivating resources, deriving from 'Hua' which can be defined as fruit, be abundant, to bloom or blossom."

Reclaiming traditional birthing practices

Central to the kaupapa of Ōhua Midwives is the Māori health model Te Whare Tapa Whā. It recognises taha wairua, hinengaro, tinana and whānau grounded in whenua.

Marie said they began every experience with māmā and whānau by acknowledging the tapu of te whare tangata.

Te whare tangata, in te ao Māori, can be translated as 'house of humanity,' a women's womb or uterus.

"We know that when we are even putting our hands on that space, we incorporate whānau, te ao, all of our natural resources, like muka," she said.

Muka is a fibre made from harakeke (flax) and is used to tie the umbilical cord (pito) after birth.

In te ao Māori, the placenta is known as whenua, which can also be translated to land in te reo.

It holds massive significance and is a representation of the connection between the newborn pēpi and the land.

Traditionally, the placenta would be buried in a location significant to the whānau, like their ancestral lands to not only honour and nourish Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, but ground the pēpi to its whakapapa.

The rōpū said they honour the whenua in their practice and help explain its significance to whānau, passing down mātauranga they may not have.

"The placenta is whenua. It's significant. We hold it with our highest respect," Marie said.

They encourage ipu whenua, a woven or crafted basket made from natural materials, which the placenta can be placed and buried in.

"Talking to [whānau] about ways that we can follow tikanga in a modern time is important, because a lot of whānau are removed from their whenua," Marie said.

"Even if whānau can't access their original whenua, planting in a pot is symbolic, connecting culture with practice."

In replacement of plastic modernised tools, they use mātauranga Māori.

"We cut the iho (umbilical cord) with pounamu cutters or kōhatu and use muka instead of plastic clamps.

"We teach whānau to prepare it themselves, weave it, tie it... so they learn whakapapa and the reasons behind it."

Centring whānau in every birth

The midwives also stressed the importance of a whānau based care.

"Whānau are from all different regions, iwi everywhere around Aotearoa, so it's important we are actually connecting with them and being led and guided by them and their tikanga as well, is really important," Wieser said.

"In midwifery, usually there's just one set standard of care, but in te ao Māori, we really chime in on what the whānau needs are and how they were raised and what they were brought up doing.

"Speaking with nannies, papas, wider whānau gives us a foundation to care for them in ways they recognise."

They said their care model weaves professional practice with whānau connection.

"Some of our whānau say they've never had friendship from previous midwives, so they're relieved to meet us and know we're real people. That connection matters," Harmon-Becks said.

The group also spoke about the importance of holding space for whānau during the birth, when appropriate, allowing them to lead.

"We stand back, let papas or whānau members catch the pēpi. We're just the background, but we empower them to lead their own birth," Marie said.

Honouring those who paved the way

While Ōhua is new, the wāhine said they stand firmly within a longer lineage of Māori midwives who paved the way.

Harmon-Becks said they have been inspired by wānanga and rangahau (research) made available to them by wāhine like Kelly Tikao, who has done significant mahi in the midwifery space, upholding mātauranga Māori.

"We're doing this loudly, but we aren't the first. If not for the Māori midwives who came before us… all four of us wouldn't be here," she said.

The wānanga through Kelly Tikao, Ngā Maia and Te Ara ō Hine Tapu Ora enrichened their mātauranga (knowledge), they said.

"During our degree, we went outside mainstream education. 99.9 percent of that learning is thanks to her mahi," Wieser said.

Growing the kaupapa

Looking ahead to the future of Ōhua, Harmon-Becks said they are looking to expand their services across Aotearoa.

"We're big dreamers, but we make it happen.

"We're planning our own clinic, growing Ōhua beyond Ōtautahi. We can't wait to support Māori graduates building this mahi with us."

They want to encourage more wāhine Māori to enter the midwifery space.

"Every whānau needs their own midwife, so be one for your whānau," Wieser said.

"Midwives are big ass hype girls. We celebrate the strength of māmā. We're here whispering, 'Girl, you got this, you're strong, you are all the things,'" Marie added.

The group said education and guidance across the overall health system is vital, especially as Māori midwives remain underrepresented in Te Waipounamu.

"Even one more Māori midwife in hospital can make a huge difference in how whānau experience their care."