Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge student and head of Heru and Hapu Mama project Patrick Salmon. Photos / KAIRUA
Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge student and head of Heru and Hapu Mama project Patrick Salmon. Photos / KAIRUA
As part of finalising his Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Patrick Salmon developed a new way to help Māori women stay smoke-free while pregnant.
The 34-year-old combined the traditional heru, a Māori wooden comb, with a free smartphone app incorporating ancestral knowledge.
"Māori believe that the spiritual element of a person enters the body of the fetus through the fontanelle or spiritual gateway at the top of the head while in the womb. The heru is an ancient tool used as a guardian of this gateway," Salmon says.
Having a background in social services, he found that information pamphlets are quickly discarded into the rubbish.
Programme participant Alana Tewao wearing the heru.
"So, I wanted to create a tool that is more engaging and meaningful to Māori."
The app KAIRUA initiates an augmented reality experience when hovered over the heru. The experience includes six modules around ancestral knowledge and a digital forum (wānanga).
Together with the heru as a physical reminder of staying smoke-free they are meant to become a nicotine replacement therapy based on indigenous knowledge.
"Thirty Māori wāhine from the Waikato participated in the Heru and Hapu Mama project, 27 of them stayed smoke-free during their pregnancy. All of the participants kept on with the programme from start to finish," says Salmon.
One of them is Alana Tewao. The 30-year-old started the programme during the pregnancy with her 12th child.
"It is my first smoke-free pregnancy. Of course, other organisations tried to help me to quit, but I never got a bond with them, they didn't catch my attention for long", she says.
With the Heru and Hapu Mama project she could relate and quickly found a bond. "I really enjoyed being part of it. It helped me become a better person for my children and made me feel connected to my ancestors," says Tewao.
She is now pregnant with her 13th child and is still using the heru.
Salmon's wife Te Awhiahua also used the tools. "We have five children and my wife managed to stay smoke-free for the last two. You really see the difference in the children," says Salmon.
Te Awhiahua and daughter Ondre doing the augmented reality experience.
Although the heru is a Māori tradition and the programme based on Maori tradition, Salmon is working on making it available for Pākehā as well.
"I would like all women from all around the world to try this tool too."
