ABSTRACT
This chapter explores through experiential historical analysis, effective and transportable Maori health development models unique to the northernmost region of the North Island of New Zealand. The New Zealand public health sector underwent ten years of dramatic change, with four wholesale structural changes and a myriad of functional and organisational changes in that time. The Maori voice in mainstream politics was never more vocal, and at the same time, 'grassroots' Maori leadership vigorously upheld the paramouncy of Te Tiriti O Waitangi as the cornerstone of Maori-Crown relationships. The state sector's response to Maori during the 1990s was an often confusing and almost always politically charged business. Two themes consistently appeared in Maori social policy: biculturalism and institutional responsiveness. Maori co-purchasing in health provided the opportunity for the dawning of a new day, in which Maori could rise above the slough of health disparity and turn despondency into dynamic action for Maori health gain.
