About the award

In 1899, Tā Māui Pōmare graduated MD from the American Medical Missionary College in Chicago, becoming the first Māori to achieve this honour. Five years later in Dunedin, Tā Te Rangihīroa graduated from the Otago Medical School as their first Māori graduate. Tūtere Wīrepa and Pōhau Ellison followed in 1908 and 1919 respectively.

Our first female Māori medical graduate was Rina Moore, who in 1948 became the 11th Māori doctor. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, an increasing number of Māori medical graduates entered postgraduate training programmes, leading to the emergence of Māori General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, ENT Specialists, Obstetricians, and Public Health Physicians representing iwi across the country.

From this group, Mason Durie developed the Māori health models that form a major part of current Hauora Māori teaching. Colin Mantell was instrumental in establishing the admission programme for Māori students at the University of Auckland, and Eru Pōmare became Dean of the Wellington School of Medicine.

Continuing through the 1980s, 90s, and to today, we now have hundreds of Māori who have graduated with medical degrees. These individuals can be found working across Aotearoa and internationally in many different fields of expertise. We are also privileged to have hundreds of Māori medical students currently studying at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.

In 2014, we began an annual process to recognise our rangātira of the past and their accomplishments by celebrating the contributions of present-day doctors. We pay tribute to these rangātira for laying down the pathway of success and express our gratitude to current Māori doctors for their continued efforts and support.

Ngā Rangātira Matahīapo celebrates Māori doctors for all that they have achieved and contributed to us as Māori medical students. It is our chance to recognise and reflect on the history of Māori in medicine, while guiding us into the future and fostering aspiration within Te Oranga students.

At Hui-ā-Tau each year, Te Oranga Māori medical students present the annual Ngā Rangātira Matahīapo Award to a Māori doctor identified by our tauira members as someone who has contributed significantly to their learning. This recipient will embody excellence, role modelling, a commitment to Hauora Māori and whakaaro Māori, while actively inspiring Māori medical students to reach their full potential.

We are excited about the future of this award and the doctors it will recognise.