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When Heeni Hoterene was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer, she had a choice to make – accept the diagnosis or fight it to the end using her knowledge as a maramataka expert to map out her healing. Maramataka refers to the Māori lunar calendar and the practise of planning accordingly.
Heeni is one of Aotearoa’s most renowned and respected experts, sharing wisdom daily with her more than 70,000 followers online.
“When I was diagnosed two years ago, I knew I was sick,” recalls Heeni, 49. “My stomach had swelled right up and I was having heavy bleeding. I fainted twice and my children had to ring for an ambulance in the middle of the night.
“But it was still quite a shock to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. It started in my uterus and spread to my lymph nodes, stomach and spine.”
The Northland mother-of-four clearly remembers those first nights, worrying about her tamariki, Karirikura, 14, Otane, 13, Keteriki, 11, and Oenuku, six, and what was to come.
“I could feel the walls closing in. It was very scary, terrifying and I didn’t know what to do. The second night it happened again, but I decided, ‘I’m not going to live in this fear.'”
A hug from son Oenuku is just the tonic for Heeni, who says, “I’m going to give it a good go to make it to see my grandkids.”
In that moment, Heeni reminded herself of the things she believed in – being Māori and maramataka.
“Maramataka is all about taking the right action at the right time for the best results, so I planned out all of my healing,” explains Heeni, who creates usable maramataka calendars and guides for the public.
“I’m an expert at transitioning traditional knowledge and making it applicable to now because this knowledge is totally relevant, practical and essential.”
As Heeni speaks to the Weekly via video call, she’s undergoing a vitamin C infusion treatment at the private Koru Medical Clinic in Kerikeri.
Alongside the specialist recommendations of chemotherapy and radiation, she has sought out many alternative treatments to give her the best chance of survival. “I’ve had acupuncture, ozone therapy, red light, flinchlock, sauna, Reiki, working with nutritionists and following my own intuitive healing,” shares Heeni.
Vitamin C treatments are just one of Heeni’s remedies.
Doctors initially estimated she could have as little as several months to live. But with her two-year diagnosis anniversary passing in November 2022, Heeni feels confident she will beat cancer.
“My doctor rang me in June 2022 and told me, ‘There’s nothing there, you got it all out.’ I felt this massive sense of power. For someone who was supposed to be dead in two months, I feel pretty alive,” laughs Heeni.
“It has been a massive gift and I’m going to give it a good go to make it to see my grandchildren.”
But it hasn’t come without significant sacrifice.
“All of this alternative treatment costs a lot of money. We decided early on to cash in my life insurance because there’s no use giving my kids an inheritance. They’d rather have their mother.
“I come from whakapapa [lineage] of warrior lines and strategists, so I thought like my ancestors. I wasn’t going to win the war if I thought I was going to die from the start.”
Through all of the uncertainty and challenges, Heeni never once wavered in her belief that maramataka was the right way to approach her healing.
She first discovered the ancient knowledge 30 years ago after marrying into a whānau who had never left their tribal lands and lived according to their iwi’s traditional maramataka, taking into account the specific natural environment and its influences.
“My husband Reuben would say, ‘It’s whiro [a moon phase known for chaos]. It’s not good for travelling, let’s stay home today.’ But like any new bride, I wouldn’t be told what to do. Then next thing you know, I’d get a flat tyre. There were many examples like this and I started to see how relevant maramataka was.”
After honing her skills and gathering knowledge for the last three decades, organisations and iwi now come from all around to Aotearoa to learn from Heeni. She’s also a whare uku (rammed earth eco house) builder and expert, and acts as an advisor for many, including the Matariki Pˉewhairangi Arts & Culture Festival happening now in the Bay of Islands.
For Heeni and her tamariki, Matariki, the Māori New Year, is a hugely significant time. “We always have a hangi. It’s about coming together, and we’ve always looked to the stars to remember those who have passed. It’s lucky I survived so I can do all my mahi,” smiles Heeni, before adding, “It actually wasn’t luck though, it was lots of hard work.”
For maramataka information, visit maramataka.co.nz. To experience Matariki in the Bay of Islands, visit matarikinz.com
