Cancer narratives matter! This paper explores Te Whare Tapa Whā, a holistic Indigenous Māori model of health and well-being and its application to my personal narrative after being diagnosed with advanced, stage 3 high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Te Whare Tapa Whā was developed by Māori psychiatrist and academic Sir Mason Durie (ONZ KNZM FRANZCP). It compares hauora (holistic health and well-being) to the four walls of a whare (house), all four being necessary to ensure strength and symmetry, though each represents a different dimension: taha wairua (spiritual health), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional health), taha tinana (physical health), and taha whānau (family and social health). There is also a fifth element to the model, taha whenua, the land and our connections to place. Each aspect of Te Whare Tapa Whā was integral to my recovery and cancer survivorship. This paper discusses those aspects and how cancer patients can utilize this model to support themselves throughout the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and the often arduous and lengthy journey of recovery.
