13/09/2026
This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. This year’s theme is Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language.
A celebration of te reo Māori is also an opportunity to recognise the experiences of Māori living with ME/CFS.
Māori are underrepresented in New Zealand’s ME/CFS statistics, and research suggests this may reflect barriers to diagnosis and access to care, rather than a lower prevalence of the illness itself.
For Māori living with ME/CFS, culturally relevant approaches to health and wellbeing matter.
One framework that offers a holistic view of wellbeing is Te Whare Tapa Whā, developed by Sir Mason Durie in 1984. It describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls:
Taha tinana – physical
Taha hinengaro – mental and emotional
Taha wairua – spiritual
Taha whānau – family and social
Each dimension contributes to the strength and balance of the whole.
This holistic approach can speak directly to the reality of living with ME/CFS, where the impact of illness extends well beyond physical symptoms and can affect every part of life.
Occupational therapist Sarah Phipps recently explored Te Whare Tapa Whā in a talk to our support group about living with ME/CFS.
If you're interested in watching the full 48 min, 24 sec talk you can find it on our YouTube.
https://youtu.be/8DAfw8SOJmM?si=b6qoQ-TMmlcxzq8J
