Tuhoe hopes that the opening of four medical centres in its rohe will inspire whanau to return to their homeland and practise medicine.
The first Tuhoe medical centre in Taneatua opened on 12 August and three more are expected to open by the end of the year.
The centres' group manager for health, housing, education and welfare, said part of the long-term plan for the tribe was to get its own workforce ready for the future.
Waylyn Tahuri-Whaipakanga said it might take some time before Tuhoe who had trained in medicine would realise the quality of the services being provided.
But she says once whanau did, they would start to return to their homeland.
Ms Tahuri-Whaipakanga says Tuhoe currently had only Pakeha doctors waiting to work in the centres.
She said that once they were established Tuhoe would move into providing oral health services, such as dental care.
WaylynTahuri-Whaipakanga says the medical centres' services are not exclusively for Tuhoe and anyone who lives in the wider community was welcome to enrol.
To read the original RadioNZ news article click here.