Heather Te Au-Skipworth (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is the creator, visionary and was CEO of Iron Māori, an iconic community-led hauora kaupapa that she started in 2009.
Heather’s strive for equity isn’t just in the health space, she is well-known within our community and across the motu as a fierce advocate for Māori. She brings her expertise to a number of boards, as well as working in our rohe as a lifestyle coach. We are very fortunate to have someone who has built grassroots connections within our rohe, as well as a wealth of experience and networks from her impressive career.
Heather is also a local elected Councillor as well as our Tihei Takitimu Engagement Lead.
What are the values that drive your mahi as Engagement Lead?
I think for me, the most important thing I try to do is put myself in other people’s positions. It is the value I stand by the most. I don’t judge. You never know what people are going through, have been through, or are going to go through. I take people’s word about their experiences as true.
You are well-respected within our rohe and across the motu, due to all the mahi you are involved in. You are also a Māmā, Wife, Aunty and Nan – how do you balance all of these responsibilities with all the pōtae that you wear?
Originally it used to be very hard to balance. But as I have gotten older, my whānau have demanded time from me, my 11 year old daughter especially – and my body has demanded I rest. My husband will tell me when it’s time to whakatau.
Some whānau may not know what Tihei Takitimu do. What would you like them to know about our mahi? How can people get involved?
Our mahi is to close the equity gap and to advocate for our whānau. I would like people to come to, or even Zoom into, our AGM hui. We talk a lot about what we do on our socials and website too. We try to ensure that whānau voices are heard, and the goal is to make sure the health system is welcoming and looks and feels like them.
Just send us an email if you have any questions – anytime!
Hauora services and healthy kai can be hard to access for some whānau, especially due to the high cost of living. What do you suggest whānau do if they need support with their hauora?
In a lot of areas, we have Nourished for Nil and the My Kai Project, which can help whānau with cheaper kai and recipes on a budget.
We have a list of Hauora services on our website which can help whānau find the right services. If you can’t find what you need there, please reach out to us – we can always help navigate the pathways.
What changes would you most like to see in our rohe for Hauora?
I want to see our whānau access the services they need, when they need them, and at no cost.
What’s one of your favourite whakataukī in relation to our mahi?
Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi. With us helping whānau to share their knowledge, we can all be well and grow well together.
