he taonga tuku iho - an inherited gift
Māori have called Aotearoa New Zealand home for more than a millennium. It is believed Kupe, using the stars and ocean currents as navigational guides made first landfall at the Hokianga Harbour about 1,000 years ago.
Gordon Little-Tito, the founder of Natures Therapeutics Limited™ is one of the many thousands living today, who can trace their ancestry back to the first Māori arrivals. Gordon has tribal ties to 2 iwi (tribe), Ngāti Whātua and Ngāpuhi. His hapū (sub-tribe) is Te Parawhau and his marae is located at, and named, Tangiterōria.
Born in 1962, Gordon recalls vividly, his mother and nannies making regular trips into the bush around Kamo, Whangārei to gather leaves, bark, and crystal-clear river water. Returning home, they would then carefully extract medicinal properties into a liquid that was refrigerated. His mother would drink at least 1 small cup of the liquid each day for general all-round good health.
For almost 60 years, Gordon has been within ear-range of conversations where the ancient and passed down traditional healing system of Māori has been discussed. The traditional name Rongoā Māori in English translates to “Enhancement of Well-Being”. In contrary to the belief of many, Rongoā Māori is a holistic approach that encompasses herbal remedies, physical therapies, and spiritual healing.
Rongoā Māori, he taonga tuku iho (an inherited gift). This understanding is deeply embedded into Gordon from his upbringing. It is no surprise that the development of a company to share end products emerging from this gift is, and continues to be, staunchly protected. There has been a huge cultural element over-arching the planning and start up of Natures Therapeutics Limited™ with the final aspect taking place on July 11, 2020. Te Parawhau kaumātua, (elder) Pereri Tito led the blessing of the facility located in Whangārei, Aotearoa New Zealand.
This first entry into our blog sets the path to share the magnificence of these traditional medicinal plants that have been embraced by Māori for centuries.
Tangiterōria Marae
The grove where Gordon’s mother would collect Kawakawa
Close-up of Kawakawa
Natures Therapeutics Limited™ are committed to including good quality skin care products within our product range. We really do turn to nature to do this well. All our skin care products contain natural botanicals that have been used for more than a millennium by Māori. Most of these special plants can only be found in Aotearoa New Zealand.