HUI TĀNE - National Māori Mens Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference

10/09/2025

Mike King - I AM HOPE, on dropping the mask: breaking the silence, confronting the pain, and choosing hope over despair.

Tāne deserve to breathe, speak up and heal. Dropping the mask means confronting the pain behind the thoughts and choosing help over silence. Let’s start the kōrero today.

Kei raro iho te roanga ake o ōna kōrero mai i a Hui Tāne 2025.

10/09/2025

To acknowledge World Su***de Prevention Day, Hui Tāne will be releasing highlight reels from Hui Tāne 2025. We share these kōrero to spark hope, connection, and courage to reach out. Check in with your mates, your whānau, and yourself today. If today is hard, please reach out to someone close. You are not alone.

1737 Need to Talk? Call or text 1737 (NZ)

Su***de Crisis Helpline: 0508 TAUTOKO (828 865)

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357

***dePreventionDay

28/05/2025

"Ko Tū koe, ko Rongo koe" 🍃

Phil Paikea (Ngāti Whatua, Te Uri o Hau) is one of Aotearoa’s most recognisable family-violence prevention advocates and a lead facilitator of Safe Man Safe Family, a kaupapa Māori programme that turns Phil’s own hard-won lessons into a roadmap for change.

Raised in Northland and once immersed in gang life, Phil spent years caught in the same cycle of alcohol, rage and control that scars so many whānau. Determined to break the pattern, he sought counselling, embraced tikanga-based healing and began studying the drivers of violence. What started as a personal journey soon became a mission to help other men walk away from harm.

Today, countless men credit Phil Paikea and Safe Man Safe Family with helping them choose aroha over anger. His message is simple but powerful: “If I can change, you can too - and when a man is safe, his whole family can thrive.”

Phil will guide tāne in creating lasting positive change within their communities, and equip our men with practical strategies to foster safer, healthier whānau.

Nau mai, haere mai.

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025
https://www.huitane.co.nz

28/05/2025

"Me whāngai te mauri o te reo, me whāngai te mauri o te tangata"

Dr. Jeremy Tātere MacLeod is a leading advocate for Māori language revitalisation, cultural wellbeing, and leadership development. A proud son of Ngāti Kahungunu, Jeremy has dedicated over two decades to strengthening the cultural, spiritual, and social foundations of Māori communities across Aotearoa.

Jeremy holds a PhD in Māori language and dialect preservation and has held senior leadership roles in organisations such as Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. Through his consultancy Kauwaka, he delivers cultural capability training, governance development, and tikanga-based wellbeing initiatives. He is also Chairperson of the Waimārama Māori Committee and remains active in marae development and whānau leadership.

Jeremy’s mahi centres on restoring Māori systems of knowledge and identity as the foundation for whānau, hapū, and iwi wellbeing. His lived experience, academic expertise, and deep commitment to kaupapa Māori make him a powerful voice in efforts to rebuild connections among tāne Māori, combat social inequities, and ignite pride and resilience.

At Hui Tāne 2025, Jeremy brings a message of cultural reconnection and leadership by example. He brings a wealth of experience from working at the coalface of Māori leadership - a path not for the faint-hearted.

Hui Tāne | July 1-3 2025
https://www.huitane.co.nz

28/05/2025

"Ko ahau te tūmanako" 🥾

Mike King (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa) is one of Aotearoa’s most recognisable su***de prevention advocates and the founder of I Am Hope and Gumboot Friday - grass-roots movements that give rangatahi free, fast access to counselling.

Originally a household-name comedian and television personality, King publicly disclosed his own battles with depression, addiction and suicidal thinking in the mid-2000s. Shocked by the silence and stigma he encountered, he switched careers and began touring schools, workplaces and prisons, using the same sharp, witty humour that once filled theatres to start honest kōrero about inner struggle.

Mike's initiative Gumboot Friday has sponsored over NZ$17.5 million on counselling for over 40,000 rangatahi. Over that time his message has always remained consistent: vulnerability is strength, help should be immediate, and every rangatahi deserves hope.

Raw. Honest. Straight up.

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025
https://www.huitane.co.nz

27/05/2025

"Patua te ngāngara" 🐉

Shane White (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) is the driving force behind Patua te Ngangara - “Slay the Dragon” - a kaupapa Māori movement dedicated to breaking the grip of m**hamphetamine on whānau and communities.

Shane knows first-hand the devastation P can cause. A former user, seller and gang affiliate, he spent years cycling through addiction, violence and prison before a near-fatal overdose pushed him to seek help. Guided by kaumātua, he entered a tikanga-based programme, got sober and vowed to turn his survival story into a lifeline for others still trapped by “the dragon.”

Shane’s straight-up kōrero, street credibility and refusal to stigmatise users have earned him the trust of hard-to-reach tāne as well as the respect of clinicians and policymakers. In 2019 he received the Northland DHB Community Service Award, and Patua te Ngangara has been profiled by Māori Television, TVNZ and Stuff as a blueprint for grassroots, whanau-led addiction recovery.

Beyond the m**h fight, Shane White is a passionate advocate for men’s mental health, su***de prevention and prisoner rehabilitation, reminding everyone he meets: “If the monster inside me can be tamed, so can yours - and when one person heals, the whole whakapapa heals with them.”

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025.
https://huitane.co.nz

27/05/2025

"Matariki ma Puanga" ✨

Dr. Rangi Mataamua (Tūhoe) is a distinguished Māori astronomer and scholar who has been a pioneer at the intersect of mātauranga tuku iho and contemporary science. He is deeply committed to revitalising Māori indigenous knowledge.

Dr. Mataamua’s work has been instrumental in bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern understanding, creating a deeper connection to te Taiāo. His dedication to education and cultural preservation has made him a leading voice in the field, advocating for the integration of Māori perspectives at the decision-making table.

By reconnecting tāne Māori with their cultural practices and ancestral knowledge, he aims to promote a sense of identity and purpose. His efforts highlight how understanding and valuing one's roots can provide strength and resilience, contributing to holistic wellbeing and better mental health.

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025
https://www.huitane.co.nz

26/05/2025

"Tama tū, tama Ora" 💪🏽

Dave Letele, (Ngāti Maniapoto) also known as "Brown Buttabean," is a renowned motivational speaker, community leader, and health advocate who has transformed his personal journey of adversity into a powerful platform for change.

After battling obesity, poverty, and a troubled past, Dave has become an inspiring figure in New Zealand, dedicating his life to helping others achieve their health and well-being goals. Through his initiative, Buttabean Motivation (BBM), Dave has positively impacted thousands of lives, particularly in underserved communities.

At Hui Tāne 2025, Dave will bring his passion and expertise, sharing insights on resilience, empowerment, and community-driven health solutions. His story and strategies will motivate tāne to overcome challenges and foster positive change in their own lives and communities.

Hei kona!

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025
https://www.huitane.co.nz

26/05/2025

"Kia tū rangatira te āo Māori" ⚫⚪🔴

Hone Harawira (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Hau) is a veteran Māori activist, community organiser and former Member of Parliament whose career has been defined by an uncompromising commitment to tino rangatiratanga and social justice.

Disturbed by the disproportionate su***de and addiction statistics for tāne Māori, Harawira partners with hauora providers to normalise open kōrero about depression, trauma and rage. Drawing on his own experiences he urges Māori men to “fight the whakamā, not each other,” and frames mental-wellness as both a personal and political act of decolonisation.

Hone Harawira remains steadfast in his dedication to the development of Māori, living by the credo: empower Māori, protect whakapapa, and leave no whānau behind.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear his powerful insights into the state of Māori men's health and wellbeing.

Hui Tāne | 1-3 July 2025.
https://www.huitane.co.nz

08/05/2025

Anei rā anō tētahi uiui mō te kaupapa nei, mō Hui Tāne 2025. Nei ko ngā timotimo kōrero a Dr. Jeremy Tatere MacLeod, tētahi o ngā kaikōrero matua ka tū ki tō tātou nei kaupapa a te Hūrae. Nō mātou te maringa nui, e kara tēnā koe.

Another interview for our Kaupapa of Hui Tāne 2025, this time with Dr. Jeremy Tatere Macleod one of the Keynote speakers of our event.

E tere pau ana ngā tīkiti e hōmā, tickets are selling fast. You do not want to miss out!

Register link below:
https://huitane.co.nz

"He mea nui te hauora o te tāne" te kī a Dr Jeremy Tatere McLeod i āna whakamāramatanga mō āna mahi ki te "Hui Tāne 2025" ka tū ā ngā marama e heke mai nei, kia arohia ai te hauora o ngā tāne Māori o te motu. Kei raro iho nei te hononga ki āna kōrero ⬇️

07/05/2025

Ngā ūpoko o te kaupapa, e waha atu ana tōna anō pūtake, ngā meka me te whāinga matua! 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Me mihi ka tika ki a Te Karere i hakapāho i te mānutanga o te kaupapa nei, o Hui Tāne 2025 ki te ao.

The lead organisers of our kaupapa sharing why the call was made to host such an event, key insights and the main intention.

E te iwi! Rarau mai, tautī mai.

Register now❗️❗️❗️
https://huitane.co.nz