Manukura | Donna Kerridge
Published:
June 18, 2025
He uri ahau o Ngāti Tahinga me Ngāti Mahuta
E noho ana ināianei I te Tai Tokerau,
He kaimahi rongoā ahau
Donna Kerridge is a rongoā Māori practitioner, trainer and advocate of 20+years with a background in Health Science and IT.
She currently serves on a number expert advisory groups representing the practice of rongoā;
- ACC Rongoā Māori National Advisory Panel Member
- Rongoā advisor on the University of Auckland School of Nursing Te Arai Kaumatua Advisory,
- Kaihautū Rongoā for Nga Toki Whakarururanga,
- Advisory Council for the Global Compassion Coalition, an organisation committed to building a world where people and planet are valued and cared for.
- Elder Council for the Wellbeing Project, a global coalition advancing social and environmental change
Can you tell us about the mahi you’re leading and the impact you’re seeing in your community?
One of the things I am currently working on is finding ways to bring rongoā and other health professionals closer together. I love it when I see the light go on in health professionals who didn’t quite understand how rongoā can make such a difference and rongoā practitioners remember to appreciate the gifts that modern science brings.
What drew you to this kaupapa, and how has your journey shaped the way you approach this work?
There is no avoiding the need for indigenous and western health practitioners to work together more closely in the interests of the people we serve. Especially in these times. Medicine has lost its soul, it has become a commodity, driven by a global health industry and their pursuit of profit, enforced by Governments. Rongoā is the medicine of our senses (Rongo) it includes the tone of our voice, our expression, our ability to walk with ease in both physical and spiritual realms as much as it is Māori plant medicines and bodywork. Only when we do the work together, then do we start to understand.
What do you love most about the mahi?
I love that it brings inspiration, hope, belonging and meaning to the work of gifted people working to help others through their darkest times.
What are some of the most powerful stories of transformation you’ve witnessed through your work?
One of the most powerful activations I have worked on is a combined community health project initiated by a GP. The impact it had on the community was transformational.
What have the challenges been?
The challenges we all face are real and the health system as we know it is almost at breaking point. Neither of us can do it on our own. Our biggest challenge is to find a way forward that capitalises on our respective strengths. We need to put all our cards on the table so we can work with a full deck of cards in order to help improve health outcomes for those we serve. Western medicine and Rongoā bring different strengthens and whānau are richer for our willingness to collaboration
What inspires you and who have your greatest teachers and mentors been?
My elders have been my biggest teachers especially the grouchy Aunties. I am also inspired by our whānau who work so hard within a system that does not get them. They are accused of not being brown enough and being too brown at the same time. They daren’t walk away for fear of losing ground hard fought for, sometimes at the expense of their own health.
These are our true healers!
What’s one whakaaro or piece of advice you’d give to others working in this space who want to create meaningful change?
Care for our people on our terms, the standards of our kaumatua were much higher than those of today and turn your ears off to stories of negativity about us. When Māori are allowed to be Māori we thrive!
Kia Kai-Kōrero Tātou: Rongoā with Donna Kerridge
How can Rongoā and Western medicine come together to better serve the wellbeing of people in Aotearoa?
Join us for an inspiring kōrero with the wise and deeply grounded Donna Kerridge, a practitioner, teacher and advocate of Rongoā Māori. Donna brings a rare blend of warmth, clarity, and deep cultural knowledge — working at the intersection of traditional healing and modern health systems to support whānau and communities to thrive.
In this session, Donna will explore the strengths of both Rongoā and Western medicine, and the importance of partnership between indigenous and clinical approaches.
When: Thursday 17 July 12 – 1pm
Where: Zoom
Register here.
