Wearing a mask at our sites

We’ve been looking at creative ways to remind people to wear a mask, keep a safe distance and wash their hands often.

Our creative kaimahi Māori came up with the idea of a video to use Kapa Haka concepts to get these important messages out to our patients, staff and community.

The result was the Tō mask e kare video which demonstrates tikanga haumaru through a kaupapa Māori lens.

The video uses Kapa haka movements and other spacing concepts such as long poi and mau rākau. These were developed alongside the beautiful and catchy waiata, Tō mask e kare, written for this project by Te Matetahuna Paki (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, me Ngāti Whakaaue) and her husband Turongo (of Te Whare Kaahui Ariki). They wove traditional form of karakia, contemporary kupu and COVID-19 related messaging together.  

Mareta Hunt, Strategic Advisor Equity and Injury Prevention at Safekids Aotearoa, led the creation of the video. “Our main focus was promoting COVID-19 tikanga haumaru that our kaimahi, whānau and communities use to protect themselves from COVID-19,” she says. “Our kaimahi Māori are the stars in the fun and entertaining video.”

Glossary:

• Kaimahi – Workers
• Kaimahi Māori – Māori workforce
• Kapa haka – cultural performing group
• Karakia – prayer or incantation
• Kaupapa Māori – Māori approach
• Kupu – word/s
• Mau rākau – weaponry
• Tikanga haumaru – safe practices
• Tō mask e kare – title of the video roughly translates to “Your mask, dear.”