Ngā Puāwaitanga - Outcomes
How Taiao Manawa Ora was implemented
Te Kāhui Rau
Healing the whenua and healing the people
1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is foundational to the design of place-based initiatives
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi anchors Te Kāhui Rau’s design process, driving a Mana Whenua initiative and promoting Kaitiakitanga for Te Taiao. Recognising ‘positionality’ as Tangata Whenua, Te Kāhui Rau upholds responsibilities inherent in Whakapapa. They strategically cultivate alliances that echo their values and Treaty principles. Through this approach, they aim to foster unity and collaboration to enhance Te Taiao.”
2. Te taiao as a basis for change
The restoration and revitalisation of Te Taiao represents a shared concern and a collective responsibility that goes beyond age, ethnicity, and geographic boundaries in Taranaki. Together, our collective aim is to address the challenges posed by climate change and land-use practices in our region, with the ultimate goal of restoring harmony and balance.
Te Kāhui Rau, held a series of Kaupapa Māori Rangahau Wānanga, attended by over 300 whānau, hapū representatives of Taranaki. Te Taiao served as the central theme throughout each wānanga, led by esteemed Māori scholars and Taiao practitioners. Participants had the opportunity to delve into their concerns, aspirations, and seek support from their peers. They were able to evaluate their mahi and design new action plans specific to their respective rohe and unique Taiao priorities.
3. Respecting all knowledges
Weaving different knowledges has been an integral part of our journey. As ngā uri o Ngāti Tāwhirikura hapū, the impact of colonisation, intergenerational displacement from our ancestral lands has meant we have lost familial knowledge and intellectual property with our Whenua and Taiao.
The reality has meant we are relying heavily on weaving traditional mātauranga Māori, the practical know-how of regenerative land managers, indigenous, science and innovation experts to define our relationship with Te Taiao.
We seek to empower ngā uri to make evidence-based decisions and utilise the relative expertise of others to get the best results, starting with Te Rewarewa Pā site.
4. Tikanga and values
“Te Kāhui Rau is a movement that embodies the shared values and aspirations of Ngā uri o Ngāti Tāwhirikura. This includes The Declaration and Affirmation of Hapū Tino Rangat iratanga (2013), a pivotal document that reaffirms the inherent sovereignty and self-determination of its members. It also incorporates the Ngāti Tāwhirikura Hapū Values, the principles that guide the community’s actions and decisions, reflecting their unique cultural identity and heritage.”
5. People and community-led change
“Te Kāhui Rau is a ‘grass roots movement led by members of Ngāti Tāwhirikura hapū. Spearheading Kaupapa Māori – led initiatives that define Tangata Whenua connection with Te Taiao and the ‘positionality’ held in the wider community and to one another. Te Kāhui Rau aims to restore pathways for the interconnectedness of Whenua and Whānau. Te Kahui Rau acknowledges the impact of temporal displacement and colonisation. Through researching culturally appropriate remedies to restore Whakapapa links to Te Taiao. Te Kahui Rau is facilitating this through Te Moeone (Māra Kai project) and He Kawa Ora (Healing framework) .”
6. People and Place – a sense of place, belonging, and wellbeing
As ngā uri o Ngāti Tāwhirikura hapū, we hold a deep sense of place and belonging within our rohe. Fostering a strong connection to our “place” as mana whenua is fundamental.
Strengthening our cultural identity and heritage shaping our distinct narrative for new markets and brand development. Our Taiao actions focuses on four key areas
Strengthening our Internal Identity, Enhancing our Visibility, Creating Opportunities for Connection:
Leading a Mana Whenua-led Circular Economy:
7. Collaboration and participation
We have an ambitious vision and know we cannot achieve this on our own.
To help us navigate the challenges and opportunities we seek to work with others in order to accelerate our progress.
We have developed an ecosystem of potential partners (across sectors). Our Engagement Plan builds on relationship trust and alignment.
Working with Local Government our preferred method of engagement is using co-design principles to address systemic and institutional power imbalances when working together.
8. Leadership and management (mana rangatira/mana whakahaere)
Te Kahui Rau is guided by values aligned with the Ngāti Tawhirikura Hapū Rangatiratanga Declaration, emphasising integrity and responsibility to past and future generations.
Through the collective strengths of Māori scholars and researchers Te Kahui Rau facilitated a series of kaupapa Māori research wananga, which enabled participants to learn from distinguished Māori researchers .
9. Broader measures of success
Te Kāhui Rau strongly supports the implementation of a Māori Circular Economy, recognizing it as a systems solution that aligns with our core values.
Historically, hapū played a central role in economic development, and we can draw inspiration from exemplary communities like Parihaka, which thrived on regenerative principles, collaboration, and respect for Te Taiao.
For us, success is measured by taking a holistic approach that considers the entire lifecycle of goods and its impact on Te Taiao, including production, transportation, consumption, and waste creation.
Success to us is leading supply and value chain developments that serve us as a people, as a community and Te Taiao. We are taking up the challenge of defining what a circular economy is for us as Taranaki Māori.
10. Interconnected solutions
Te Kāhui Rau has provided time and space to analyse the range of challenges and opportunities that we as ngā uri o Ngāti Tāwhirikura hapū face. The solutions we are developing are of course inter-connected and need to be concurrently worked upon. We are working on inter-connected investments plans to drive:
• Tāpiri Taranaki- a resource recovery solution
• A pilot for natural climate solutions and land-management use change, by implementing our Taiao Strategy across three demonstration sites in Taranaki (Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahine and Ngāti Mutunga)
• Development of Taranaki Food Systems Strategy
• Development of a Taranaki Māori Business Eco System (focus on primary industry and Circular innovations)
• An Indigenous Circular Economy Conference in 2024
• An Indigenous Founder and Business Incubator
11. Access to resources
Story Maps (GIS mapping) benefits
“There’s something really empowering about decolonising our maps and seeing ourselves within them. We’re able to have access to our whenua, our archaeological sites, our wāhi tapu and collect this amazing data.
There’s less than ten per cent of native trees in our urban areas and the health of our awa and maunga are in terrible condition – you can see the harm that’s been done to our whenua. Looking back over time, you can observe how drastically our landscapes have changed.
It’s a great tool to assist with whenua planning activities like the reestablishment of our mahinga kai, riparian native planting and protecting and caring for our sacred sites of significance.
With the click of a button, you can remove all the infrastructure, and view what’s beneath it. There are new innovative ways of building narrative and taking whānau on a journey of rediscovery.”