Did you ever think that it was possible for people to use plants for medicine? Back when the earth was still young, Maori people used Rangoa, which is their traditional medicine from different plants. These were the treasures of Tane, the God of the forests. People have benefited from these medicines for generations. They have been passing their knowledge down through families and whakapapa.
For centuries, Rongoa has been traditional Maori, ecological medicine which has been of benefit and usage for a long time. It has been important to Maori culture, because Rongoa was their history and what they value highly.
Not many people know that Rongoa is a tradition, that represents the passing of the Maori history, and what the Maori people valued most. In the past, Rongoa meant the healing of the whole body. Tohunga, were the healers and guardians of knowledge. They were priests, and scholars who were well educated in the field of Rongoa. They were the people who handed out the medicines. By knowing your bloodline, they know when we have a reaction to a wound or not.
Manuka is one of the many environmental plants which has been used as Rongoa for a very long time. When the Manuka bark is crushed and boiling water has been assimilated together. The cooked liquid is poured onto burns or rubbed onto bruises to ease the pain. When the boiled Manuka leaves are in the water, if you inhale vapour, the leaves ease head colds.
Rongoa has been of benefit to humans for centuries, and it is all thanks to the Tohunga who have passed down their knowledge of healing to their whakapapa. These treasures are dangerous in the hands of people who have no knowledge of how to use them, and what plant to use.
