PĀNUI
NEWS
Māori Leaders Unite in Ōtautahi for Oraka Ararau 2026.
27-28 / 03/ 2026
Next week, more than 250 Māori leaders, kaimahi, clinicians, researchers and whānau will gather in Ōtautahi for Oraka Ararau National Māori Alcohol & Other Drug Hui 2026.
Hosted at Ngā Hau e Whā Marae on 26–27 March by Whare Tukutuku, Te Rau Ora & He Waka Tapu, this year’s hui marks an important moment for collective reflection and action as communities across Aotearoa continue to navigate the growing impacts of methamphetamine and other drug harm.
At the centre of this year’s kaupapa is the theme Te Hereka Waka – the sacred mooring place. It speaks to a need for pause, for reconnection, and for grounding ourselves in what we know works for our people.
It is about regrouping as a collective, re-anchoring in mātauranga Māori, and preparing for the next phase of the response.
Methamphetamine continues to disproportionately impact whānau Māori, contributing to inequitable health and social outcomes.
Oraka Ararau creates space to be clear about that reality while also challenging the narrative. This is not a failure of whānau, it is the result of long-standing systemic neglect. The solutions, therefore, must be grounded in Māori leadership, knowledge, and collective strength.
KAIKŌRERO (SPEAKERS)
Over two days, attendees will share whakaaro, lived experience, and practical approaches that reflect the diversity of the Māori AOD workforce. From frontline practitioners to researchers and those with lived experience, the hui brings together a network of people committed to strengthening outcomes for whānau.
Key areas of focus for Oraka Ararau 2026 include:
- Māori-led systems of care in response to methamphetamine harm
- Strengthening whānau and hapori-driven solutions
- Workforce development and innovation across addiction services
- Mātauranga Māori approaches to prevention, healing, and rehabilitation
- Collective indigenous action to reduce inequities in drug harm
Since its inception, Oraka Ararau has been intentionally designed as a space by Māori, for Māori, an independent forum where whakaaro can be shared openly, and solutions can be shaped collectively. Previous hui hosted by Te Arawa, Ngāti Hine, and Tai Rāwhiti have each contributed to a growing national movement grounded in kaupapa Māori models of care and community mobilisation.
This year, with He Waka Tapu hosting in Ōtautahi, that movement continues to build, bringing a distinct southern lens while staying anchored to the shared vision of whānau wellbeing.
Oraka Ararau is more than a hui. It is a reaffirmation that the answers already exist within our communities, and that by coming together, we strengthen our ability to respond, to heal, and to create lasting change.
As the waka comes together at its mooring place, the focus is clear, reconnect, realign, and move forward, together.
