He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata!† (What is the most important thing in the world? It is people!)

This paper highlights the importance of people as a central factor in improving health for Maori (Indigenous people of New Zealand). How whanau (family) relationships, connections, values and inspiration are integral to achieving Indigenous health goals is explained. Descriptions of how community researchers, healthcare staff, consumers and academics worked together to design interventions for two health services (in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions) is included. Through highlighting the experiences of health consumers, the potential for future interventions to reduce the advancement of pre-diabetes among whanau is described. Evidence from the study interviews reinforces the importance of whanau and whakapapa (heritage) as enabling factors for Indigenous people to improve health. Specifically, the positive effect of whanau enhancing activities that support peoples' aspirations of tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) in their lives when engaging with health care has been observed. This study highlights the many positives that have emerged, and offers an opportunity for taking primary health to the next level by placing whanau alongside Indigenous primary care providers at the centre of change strategies.