Tō Mātau Kōrero

Kia ora, ko Misty Edmonds tōku ingoa. Ko Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Tūwharetoa ōku iwi.

The inception of Iwi United Engaged. I am a Registered Nurse and Nursing Educator with a passion for advancing Māori health and wellbeing. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to reducing the health inequities experienced by Māori in Aotearoa and creating pathways that support equitable outcomes for whānau, hapū, and iwi.

My aim is simple: to do myself out of a job.

I believe that true equity will only be achieved when Māori experience the same opportunities and health outcomes as everyone else. Central to this is the concept of partnership as envisioned through Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I see Te Tiriti not only as a foundational document, but as a living framework for creating sustainable, mutually beneficial outcomes for both Māori and non-Māori in Aotearoa.

Over the past 26 years, working as a nurse in Counties Manukau, I have developed practical approaches to the application and realisation of Te Tiriti within health services, community engagement, research, and innovation. This experience has shown me the transformative impact that genuine partnership can have when Māori voices, knowledge, and aspirations are embedded within decision-making processes.

Iwi United Engaged was established in response to increasing demand from clinicians, health researchers, engineers, and organisations seeking support to engage meaningfully with Māori communities. I have been privileged to work alongside these sectors, helping to bring a Māori perspective into research development, service design, and innovation.

My aspiration is for Māori to be active participants in shaping the health and research agenda in Aotearoa, rather than simply being subjects of it. This vision is shared by the many Māori communities, whānau, and partners we work alongside, who continue to advocate for greater involvement in decisions that affect their lives and futures.

At Iwi United Engaged, our focus is to support researchers, health organisations, and institutions to build their capability to engage with Māori in ways that are culturally safe, responsive, and grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Together, we can create stronger partnerships, more meaningful research, and better outcomes for the communities we serve.