GEGAC’s Deputy CEO and Executive Director Culture Joshua Tuiono, Board Member Andrew Morgan, and Youth Engagement Officer Peter Harrison, with cultural gifts from the Te Rau Ora organisation in Aotearoa.
GEGAC has formed a new cultural bond with an Indigenous organisation in New Zealand, following a visit by a group of our staff to Auckland last year.
A delegation of five GEGAC staff travelled to Auckland to attend the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference in October, which brought together First Nations leaders and practitioners from across Australia, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and the Pacific.
The conference offered GEGAC team members a unique opportunity to hear from thought leaders and witness innovative, culturally grounded approaches to Indigenous health and wellbeing.
“It provided a valuable platform for shared learning, collaboration, and the strengthening of trans-Tasman Indigenous connections,” said GEGAC’s Executive Director Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing, Awhiora Nia Nia.
Beyond the conference, the GEGAC team arranged a series of site visits with key Māori-led organisations in Auckland and Hamilton.
These included agencies delivering culturally informed services across Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), Mental Health, Primary Health, and broader Māori health and wellbeing sectors.
A highlight was the visit to Te Rau Ora, a peak Māori organisation dedicated to workforce development, indigenous frameworks, education, funding of indigenous services and capacity building across AOD, Mental Health, and related government and community sectors.
This site visit included a deeply respectful cultural exchange.
GEGAC’s Deputy CEO, Josh Tuiono, presented Te Rau Ora’s CEO Riki Nia Nia, with a locally carved emu egg by GunaiKurnai artist Adrian Morgan, symbolising respect, knowledge sharing, and connection.
In return, Te Rau Ora gifted GEGAC a beautifully carved Hoea (paddle), signifying the spirit of two Indigenous nations rowing together towards a shared vision of health and wellbeing.
A painting depicting the Poutama pattern—a traditional Māori design representing the staircase to knowledge, wisdom, and growth—was also gifted, symbolising the ongoing journey of collective advancement.
“The gathering was a powerful and humbling experience for both organisations,” Awhiora said.