Tū Wairua: Development of an Indigenous Rongoā Māori Approach to Healing with Psilocybin Containing Mushrooms

A Māori-led research project, Tū Wairua, will integrate traditional Māori healing practices (rongoā Māori) with psilocybin-assisted therapy to address problematic methamphetamine use in Māori communities. Based at Rangiwaho Marae in Te Tairāwhiti, the project is driven by kaupapa Māori methodology and biomedical psychedelic science. It aims to develop a culturally-appropriate treatment, build a skilled Māori workforce, and challenge legislation restricting Indigenous psychedelics. The work represents a shift toward health interventions that respect Indigenous wisdom and address the unique needs of Māori communities.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain fungi, has long been used by Indigenous cultures worldwide for healing and spiritual purposes. While emerging evidence points to psychedelic agents being novel avenues for the treatment of substance use disorders, the predominantly Western medical models of psychedelic-assisted therapy being developed lack Indigenous wisdom and input, raising concerns about safety, efficacy, ownership, and continuing colonial dynamics. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), the enduring impacts of colonisation on Māori include the suppression of Indigenous wisdom, even as research affirming the knowledge and practice of traditional Māori healing is on the rise. The Tū Wairua project will explore the integration of rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing practices) with psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) for addressing problematic methamphetamine use (PMU) in Māori communities. This Māori-led project is driven by kaupapa Māori methodology and rongoā Māori conceptualisations of health and informed by biomedical psychedelic science. Based at Rangiwaho Marae in Te Tairāwhiti, a community with a high Māori population and a significant burden of PMU, the project aims to develop a culturally-appropriate PAT to explore the efficacy of psilocybin in treating PMU. This research represents a shift toward health interventions that respect and extend Indigenous wisdom, addressing the unique needs of Māori communities. It also seeks to develop a skilled Māori workforce to continue these healing practices, and challenge current legislation that restricts the use of Indigenous psychedelics. In creating sustainable pathways for healing through a community-driven, culturally-resonant PAT, Tū Wairua charts new directions in Indigenous-led psychedelic science.