Warning: This story contains content that may be triggering
Clinical psychology researcher Heemi Kapa-Kingi (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Waikato, Apanui) is working in collaboration with Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services through Uia Te Pātai, a podcast platform of open discussions about suicide, life after loss, and kōrero tuku iho.
The series draws on the wisdom of Ngāpuhi kōrero tuku iho – or inherited knowledge – and includes interviews with community leaders, influencers, and clinicians such as Dr Hinemoa Elder and Mātua Taipari Munroe. The kōrero spans wairuatanga, the realities of parenting, grief and tangihanga, male mental health stigma, the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, and whānau impacted by suicide.
Together, the partnership is creating safe spaces where kōrero can break down stigma, reconnect people with the strength of mātauranga Māori, and provide an accessible resource that speaks directly to whānau across Te Tai Tokerau.
Uia Te Pātai also explores traditional methods of processing emotions and grief. Heemi says making this knowledge accessible empowers whānau to apply it in everyday life.
“Our whānau are the first responders to the needs of their own so it makes sense to create a resource for them to apply in their lives.”
This mahi with Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services is part of a growing movement across te ao Māori to reshape how mental health is understood – not as an individual struggle, but as a collective journey of healing, authenticity, and whanaungatanga.
Alongside the podcast, Heemi has delivered workshops nationwide to reconnect men with their culture as a pathway to emotional resilience. His research is grounded in turning theory into practical tools that can be used across hapū and whānau settings.
His brother, Auckland Law School’s Eru Kapa-Kingi, who also speaks on the Uia Te Pātai podcast says these conversations are reclaiming knowledge Māori have always carried: “There’s a shift in this generation. Pākehā call it emotional intelligence, but our tūpuna saw it as an extension of māramatanga – understanding yourself internally and how you project that into te ao mārama. It’s a tikanga tuku iho, but we lost that along the way.
“Colonisation reframed our rangatira as savages without emotional intellect, and that way of thinking seeped into how we see ourselves today.”
For Heemi, the kaupapa is about small but powerful changes: talk often, share emotions, keep communication with whānau regular, and learn the kupu to name feelings like grief or frustration.
“This idea of being a burden needs to stop. When we talk, when we connect, and when we name our emotions, we find strength in each other. That’s how our tūpuna lived – and it’s how we can live again.”
Partnering with Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services was especially important for Heemi as a descendant.
“My academic journey has always been centred on the need to eventually return home and share these lessons with our whānau to create real-world impacts in the communities that raised me.”
Heemi says whānau also need tools for navigating difficult situations.
“Many whānau have shared that they are under-equipped to deal with some of the tough conversations around mental health and suicide. That’s why collaborating through the podcast has been impactful – it helps connect with audiences today. Growing everyone’s knowledge through kōrero is vital”
Through his research, Heemi has found that many whānau have negative experiences with mainstream mental health services, which discourages them from seeking further support.
“A lack of cultural support and understanding makes those first interactions – often at triage – especially difficult.”
A major focus of his current research is rangatahi self-harm, alongside men’s well-being workshops run through the movement he co-founded, Soften Up Bro.
“The research is pointed towards creating resources for whānau, in collaboration with whānau, so the resource truly reflects their needs and stories.”
Heemi is also the Deputy-Chair of Te Kōhao Health, a Māori health service provider based in Waikato.
This was first published by Waipapa Taumata Rau - University of Auckland.
