Tū Wairua: Development of an Indigenous Rongoā Māori approach to healing with psilocybin containing mushrooms

Abstract

Abstract Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain fungi has long been used by Indigenous cultures within ritual and ceremony for healing and spiritual purposes (Spiers et al., 2024). 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 (PAT) being developed lack Indigenous wisdom and input, raising concerns about cultural 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 PAT for addressing problematic methamphetamine use (PMU) in Māori communities. This Māori-led project is driven by Kaupapa Māori methodology, rongoā Māori conceptualisations of health and informed by biomedical psychedelic science. Based at Rangiwaho Marae in Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), a community with a high Māori population and a significant burden of PMU, the project aims to develop a decolonised culturally-appropriate approach to 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 psychedelic medicines. In creating sustainable pathways for collective healing through a community-driven, culturally-resonant PAT, Tū Wairua charts new directions in Indigenous-led psychedelic science.