Whakauae recently had the privilege of welcoming a small group of Taiwanese visitors to our offices in Whanganui.
Researchers Dr Ta Chun Hua (Ta Chun), Dr Ngilriw Tarudralumu and Dr Kalesekes Kaciljaan (Kala) met with the team from Whakauae ahead of their attendance at the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference, held in Wellington from 10-13 April 2026. The three visitors are based in various locations around Taiwan, where they work in, and with, Indigenous communities. Dr Ta Chun is a Family Physician and Teaching Lead at Puli Christian Hospital, Puli township; Dr Kalesekes Kaciljaan, from the Sapulju community of the Indigenous Paiwan People of Taiwan, is an Assistant Professor at National Chi Nan University also in Puli, while Dr Ngilriw Tarudralumu (also of the Paiwan and Rukai people) is a physician and Director of the community-based, Laiyi Township Health Centre. Drs Ta Chun and Kala, a formidable husband and wife team, also brought their young son Vuruvur with them, who kept us entertained during their visit despite the language barrier.
After a formal welcome led by our Pou Tikanga, we presented on the work of Whakauae and in particular, what it means to be an iwi-owned health research centre. All three of our manuhiri were keen to understand how they could learn from our experience and create space for an Indigenous-led programme of health research in their community. Discussions centred around how we work with iwi and communities to shape research priorities, how we engage during research delivery (including community engagement, decision-making and information sharing) and how we communicate and apply research findings for community benefit. Despite vastly different contexts, issues around the structural and systemic challenges of driving an Indigenous research agenda remained a common thread throughout our conversations.
At the conclusion of the visit Whakauae were gifted a very precious taonga, in the form of a piece of traditional, Indigenous weaving. While weaving was and is a task typically performed by women, the piece we were gifted was completed by a young man, Iban Micya, who is committed to revising this ancient tradition in his community. Woven on his grandmother’s loom found in the attic, the piece represents the eyes of the ancestors and was made especially for the groups’ visit to Aotearoa.
Both our team and our visitors agreed that, despite being only able to spend a short time together, we all learned something new during that time, gaining a greater appreciation of each other’s culture and contexts. As Ta Chun noted upon his return home “it was a truly a meaningful journey for us. We really valued being back in Aotearoa and leaned so much from the wisdom of the land and its people. … Our time with you was especially unforgettable. Thank you again for such a warm and generous welcome. We felt the care, openness, and genuine connection in the way you shared your knowledge, values, and ways of working with us. It was not only deeply enriching, but also grounding and inspiring. Even our youngest member has taken something from this experience. He has become more independent, and more curious about connecting with people and the world around him.”
Whakauae recently had the privilege of welcoming a small group of Taiwanese visitors to our offices in Whanganui.
Researchers Dr Ta Chun Hua (Ta Chun), Dr Ngilriw Tarudralumu and Dr Kalesekes Kaciljaan (Kala) met with the team from Whakauae ahead of their attendance at the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference, held in Wellington from 10-13 April 2026. The three visitors are based in various locations around Taiwan, where they work in, and with, Indigenous communities. Dr Ta Chun is a Family Physician and Teaching Lead at Puli Christian Hospital, Puli township; Dr Kalesekes Kaciljaan, from the Sapulju community of the Indigenous Paiwan People of Taiwan, is an Assistant Professor at National Chi Nan University also in Puli, while Dr Ngilriw Tarudralumu (also of the Paiwan and Rukai people) is a physician and Director of the community-based, Laiyi Township Health Centre. Drs Ta Chun and Kala, a formidable husband and wife team, also brought their young son Vuruvur with them, who kept us entertained during their visit despite the language barrier.
After a formal welcome led by our Pou Tikanga, we presented on the work of Whakauae and in particular, what it means to be an iwi-owned health research centre. All three of our manuhiri were keen to understand how they could learn from our experience and create space for an Indigenous-led programme of health research in their community. Discussions centred around how we work with iwi and communities to shape research priorities, how we engage during research delivery (including community engagement, decision-making and information sharing) and how we communicate and apply research findings for community benefit. Despite vastly different contexts, issues around the structural and systemic challenges of driving an Indigenous research agenda remained a common thread throughout our conversations.
At the conclusion of the visit Whakauae were gifted a very precious taonga, in the form of a piece of traditional, Indigenous weaving. While weaving was and is a task typically performed by women, the piece we were gifted was completed by a young man, Iban Micya, who is committed to revising this ancient tradition in his community. Woven on his grandmother’s loom found in the attic, the piece represents the eyes of the ancestors and was made especially for the groups’ visit to Aotearoa.
Both our team and our visitors agreed that, despite being only able to spend a short time together, we all learned something new during that time, gaining a greater appreciation of each other’s culture and contexts. As Ta Chun noted upon his return home “it was a truly a meaningful journey for us. We really valued being back in Aotearoa and leaned so much from the wisdom of the land and its people. … Our time with you was especially unforgettable. Thank you again for such a warm and generous welcome. We felt the care, openness, and genuine connection in the way you shared your knowledge, values, and ways of working with us. It was not only deeply enriching, but also grounding and inspiring. Even our youngest member has taken something from this experience. He has become more independent, and more curious about connecting with people and the world around him.”
