Te Oraiti is an innovative leader in Māori health, education, and equity. With a career spanning strategic leadership, governance, and advocacy, she has been at the forefront of shaping medical education and health policies to better serve Māori communities.

As Tumuaki of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa  (Te ORA) the Māori Medical Practitioners Association, Te Oraiti was a driving force behind ensuring Māori doctors, researchers, and health leaders are equipped with kaupapa Māori frameworks. She has been a leading voice in cultural safety research, co-developing initiatives that address systemic inequities in Aotearoa’s healthcare sector.

Her leadership includes:  

• Equity Consultant, Yoobee Colleges (2025) - Championing Tiriti-informed, Kaupapa Māori-driven education curriculum design and implementation.
• Board of Governors, Kalandra Education (2024–Present) – Championing kaupapa Māori-driven health education.
• Tumuaki Māori and Head of Equity, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (2020-2023) – Strengthening Māori GP leadership and integrating cultural safety in medical training.
• Tumuaki, Te ORA (2016–2020) – Advocating  for Māori-led health policies and equity in medical training.
• Project Management for Mauri Mate – Māori Palliative Care Framework (2019) Enhancing end-of-life care for Māori through kaupapa Māori principles.
• Panel Speaker, Medical Deans Annual Conference (2018) promoting mutually respectful and beneficial partnerships between medical schools and Indigenous health.

Te Oraiti’s work is grounded in the belief that medical training must reflect Māori realities and support Māori medical practitioners to lead change. She has worked tirelessly to integrate cultural safety, Te Tiriti o Waitangi frameworks, and kaupapa Māori methodologies into Health and Education curricula.

Through her role as a keynote speaker at research symposia, Te Oraiti has helped shape conversations on equitable healthcare models, ensuring Māori perspectives are woven into medical governance, research, and practice.

Raised with strong Ngāti Porou values, Te Oraiti carries a deep responsibility to uplift whānau, hapū, and iwi through healthcare reform. Her advocacy ensures Māori communities receive care that respects their identity, tikanga, and aspirations.

She remains committed to breaking down barriers in Māori health leadership, ensuring that future generations of Māori health professionals have the support, mentorship, and resources to thrive.

Links:

LIME Connection VIII Conference Pouhine Poutama: Embedding Indigenous Health Education (2019)

Contributing member of the Cultural Safety, Partnership and Health Equity Governance Group to the Cultural Safety Report (2020). Reference: Allen + Clarke 2020, Baseline Data Capture: Cultural Safety, Partnership and Health Equity Initiatives, Medical Council of New Zealand and Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa,

2025 Facilitator of workshop Aligning Programme Design with Te Tiriti o Waitangi: An Equity Framework for Programme Development . BRIDGING GAPS, BUILDING FUTURES: Transformational Approaches in Research.