Embodying Mana Wāhine: Rongoā as Identity, Body Sovereignty and Knowledge Transmission
Glenis Mark, PhD, Amohia Boulton, PhD, Tanya Allport, PhD, Gill Potaka-Osborne, PhD
Volume 26, Number 1 (2026) 26 (1): 127-148
Keywords Rongoā Māori, mana wāhine, Kaupapa Māori
Abstract
This article examines how Māori healers navigate the reclamation and revitalization of rongoā Māori as a locus of cultural identity, bodily sovereignty, and intergenerational resilience. Drawing on qualitative interviews, the study employs a hybrid methodology combining Kaupapa Māori principles with Indigenous qualitative research methods. Findings highlight that rongoā is not solely a therapeutic modality but also a living expression of mana wāhine through identity, body sovereignty, and knowledge transmission. Participants describe rongoā as an embodied experience, a reclamation of bodily autonomy, and as a form of healing knowledge succession. By applying Indigenous epistemologies, we aim to demonstrate that rongoā supports identity reclamation, self-determination in healthcare, and the ongoing creation of Indigenous knowledge. This research contributes to the growing recognition of Indigenous healing systems as central to decolonization, wellbeing, and cultural resurgence.
Glenis Mark, PhD
Amohia Boulton, PhD
Tanya Allport, PhD
Gill Potaka-Osborne, PhD
Published June 5, 2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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