Te Ao Tūroa and Ngāti Rangitanga

Mai i te urunga o Ngai Tāua te iwi Māori ki roto i ngā kāwai mātauranga ō Tauiwi, ina, honotia te peka Māori ki te rākau rāwaho, he rerekē tōna hua me te rongo ō tōna kiko, he kawa.

Kāti, tēnei te whakahoki ki ngā paiaka ā kui mā, ā koro mā.

Let us return to our origins. Since the time we as Māori were immersed in the knowledge streams of Tauiwi we have become like a branch, grafted to a foreign tree, producing fruit of a different quality and somewhat unpalatable. It is time we returned to the rootstock of our ancestors.

Rangitihi Tahuparae

We are reminded by the words of our uncle Tahu who set the tone for this year’s annual report of the Ngāti Rangitanga and te ao Tūroa Pou. In a post settlement framework it is easy to get caught up in the western ways of defining how we should do things. Uncle Tahu reminds us to use the contemporary tools to help us but to retain the rootstocks of our ancestors’ teachings to guide us into the future for the betterment of our Taiao and us as a people.

Introduction

The team started the financial year as two separate working groups – the Ngāti Rangitanga Pou (managed by Sheena Maru) and te ao Tūroa Pou (managed by Jacob Robinson). After the departure of Jacob Robinson, Sheena Maru stepped into the role as interim manager for the two teams.

With the change in leadership this brought forward the opportunity to adjust the configuration of the two teams who had already naturally started working together. During the year the Ngāti Rangitanga and te ao Tūroa teams amalgamated and it was a fabulous space to look at the organisation’s current priorities and ensure emphasis could be given to key kaupapa and recruitment for new team members began.

In October 2021 after a robust recruitment process for the Pou Whirinaki (the new Manager for both Ngāti Rangitanga and te ao Tūroa), the organisation appointed Deana Wilson to the role. Her first engagement with the Taiao started in our Genesis relationship space.

Stakeholder relationships have continued to strengthen with Genesis, Winstone Pulp International, Horizons, Ruapehu District Council, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Ministry of Education. All other partners continue to engage with us on a smaller scale and the potential of refreshed or new relationships in relation to our settlement are being explored.

Te Ao Tūroa (Our environment)

An important piece of mahi was the review of parts of the Ngāti Rangi Genesis Relationship and in particular monitoring and research work. Since reaching an agreement, the te ao Tūroa team has been monitoring the various waterways and surrounding environment establishing a benchmark for the current health and wellbeing of the awa.

Today it is even more important that the relationship group can use that information to determine next steps about a connected flow. Equally important has been the ability to provide for uri so that they can build a relationship with their waterways. This work has resulted in the Te Wai Aroaro Wānanga led by Pou Kōrero Keith Wood. Uri have had opportunity to reconnect with the waterways such as the Wāhianoa, the Makahikatoa, the Tokiāhuru and the Tomowai to better understand the effects of the Tongariro Power Scheme (TPS).

The wānanga reflects on the history of the diversions and how the TPS has affected the mouri of the water and its people. Ngāti Rangi remain committed to protecting these taonga.

Te Wai Aroaro Wānanga was a beautiful few days together, feeling the mouri of our Maunga, our awa, and our whenua. What a great way to start mahi in te ao Tūroa team and always grateful for the wisdom that is shared both from wairua and kikokiko.

Taiao Management Plan

The Ngāti Rangi Taiao Management Plan is an important document that provides the basis to which Ngāti Rangi views the world. The plan contains information relating to our specific values, landscapes and how we wish to add value and protect each taonga. It provides for others to better understand how we wish to engage around matters such as regional and local planning and other matters that can influence the outcomes for our environment. First developed in 2014, the Trust has been undergoing an exercise with the support of Kahu Environmental to review the document in conjunction with Ngā Pou Taiao, the iwi environmental advisory group.

In February 2021, the Government announced it would be repealing the Resource Management Act 1991 and enacting new legislation based on the recommendations of the Resource Management Review Panel. The three new pieces of legislation proposed by the Government are:

• Natural and Built Environments Act, as the main replacement for the RMA, to protect and restore the environment while better enabling development

• Spatial Planning Act, requiring the development of long-term regional spatial strategies to help coordinate and integrate decisions made under relevant legislation; and

• Climate Adaptation Act, to address complex issues associated with managed retreat.

These proposed changes have seen the team begin to review the Ngāti Rangi Taiao Management Plan to reflect and incorporate Te Mana o te Wai, Rukutia te Mana, and the proposed changes to the Resource Management Act. This work is still in progress to ensure the plan continues to reflect our Taiao vision at the same time drawing on the decisions the Government may make.

The local authorities (Ruapehu District Council and Horizons Regional Council) and resource consent or concession applicants use the Taiao Management Plan as a starting basis for their engagement with Ngāti Rangi. More recently the Trust has been working with the Regional Council to be more focused on a relational way of working rather than a traditional transactional way that has never served our environment well. This will mean that our people at place will be enabled to be a part of the conversation once capacity is built within ourselves to ensure our own expertise and knowledge is given regard to when making decisions.

In September 2021, Ngāti Rangi made and spoke to its submission on the Natural and Built Environments Bill to the Environment Select Committee.

The submission addressed Ngāti Rangi and our role in protecting and promoting te ao Tūroa – the natural world, including through Te Waiū-o-te-Ika, the legal framework for the Whangaehu River catchment. We also provided some initial comments on the Natural and Built Environments Bill and its development. Aspects of our submission were reflected in the Environment Select Committee’s report on the Bill.

Since that time, the Government has been doing further work on the Natural and Built Environments Bill in light of the Environment Select Committee’s report. We are focused on holding the line and reminding the Crown that should the Government wish to aim towards this transformational reform space then it must give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, through the acknowledgement and recognition of mana motuhake of iwi and hapū, as we continue to ensure Te Waiū-o-te-Ika is upheld by the Bill.

He wai-ariki-rangi, he wai-ariki-nuku, tuku iho, tuku iho

An interconnected whole; a river revered and valued from generation down to generation

Hapū, iwi, and all communities are united in the best interests of the indivisible river as a gift to the future prosperity of our mokopuna.

COVID-19 has had an impact on our ability to bring together our people and whanaunga iwi for wānanga in relation to the establishment processes for Te Waiūo-te-Ika, but we look forward to progressing this mahi again in the coming months.

Te Mana Paenga / Te Pae Ao

Te Mana Paenga is part of our partnership framework with the Department of Conservation (DOC) through Rukutia Te Mana and it sets out how we will work together in relation to Tūroa in our rohe. Rukutia Te Mana also provides for the establishment of a joint committee to be known as Te Pae Ao, made up of two members appointed by Te Tōtarahoe and DOC.

Te Pae Ao will be the administering body of the following sites:

• Kiokio Conservation Area

• Mangaehuehu Scenic Reserve

• Mangateitei Road Conservation Area

• Ngā Roto-o-Rangataua Scenic Reserve (part not vested)

• Raketapauma Conservation Area

• Raketapauma Scenic Reserve

• Rangataua Conservation Area (including part of the Rotokura Ecological Area)

• Rangataua No.2 Conservation Area

• Rangataua Scenic Reserve, and

• Beds of Rotokura Lakes.

We spent a fair amount of time this year introducing new DOC personnel to Rukutia Te Mana and our vision for the future, including Te Mana Paenga and Te Pae Ao. We have now reached a point with DOC where we will each begin the process of appointing representatives on to Te Pae Ao to co-manage the reserves and develop a shared plan for these spaces. Over the next 12 months, this initial engagement will begin to bear fruit as this kōrero will be brought out to the people for wānanga and discussion, as those appointed to Te Pae Ao develop a fresh vision and plan.

Part of our planning for the future is the vision of the Ngāti Rangitanga team to upskill uri to manage, in collaboration with the Ruapehu WorX team, all weed control, pest control tenders in future for complete Taiao Management and kaitiakitanga on the ground. The goal continues to assist existing and new team members to strengthen their Cultural Environmental Monitoring knowledge, which is building our capacity to provide cultural safety and awareness.

Auraki Stream partnership

In conjunction with Ngāti Ūenuku, and Te Korowai o te Awaiti we have forged a relationship agreement with Waka Kotahi on the Auraki stream development on State Highway 4 (the Parapara). We have agreed to work on the Governance board for this kaupapa making joint decisions on the project and providing cultural and technical expertise and expertise in defishing and tree felling from each of the iwi partners. It is a positive relationship that has seen a constructive way forward for all parties while maintaining the cultural aspects of the Taiao.

Ngāti Rangitanga (Our culture)

With the new variant of Omicron entering our rohe and the second lockdown period, the iwi was once again challenged by the limited opportunity for face to face activites. Hui had to be conducted via Teams and Zoom to ensure continuity. Marae closures meant that wānanga could not be held and with some marae goingthrough renovations this also limited our team’s abilityto bring uri together for important gatherings.

Preparation for wānanga has been an ongoing undertaking, given Covid in our community. Our Pāhake and Marae representatives have been instrumental in ensuring that our safety as an Iwi has been paramount. For that reason, the team took great care when designing wānanga. They were however able to support Rangatakapū to formulate their first hui at Tirorangi Marae which was about designing how they can support one another. Other hui and wānanga around the rohe continued to create space for uri at home to use the time for their learning and helped develop the key steps to both online and in person wānanga. As we enter into the 2022 – 2023 year these types of hui will be the way forward especially when working towards the goals and strategic priorities within Te Ara ki te Moungaroa and Rukutia Te Mana.

The team’s work will continue to focus on actively promoting a healthy environment that strengthens cultural identity and whanaungatanga, through deepening our knowledge and connection to our maunga, wai and whenua through our history, tikanga and kawa; celebrating who we are as Ngāti Rangi.

Puanga Wānanga

An example of intergenerational transmission of knowledge occurred at the annual Puanga event held at Maungarongo marae. Shiro Brown facilitated the wānanga while also being assisted by his son Te Kaha O Te Ora. This shows how active succession planning plays an important part of ensuring our mātauranga continues to carry on through the generations. The wānanga was attended by uri from Christchurch in the South Island to as far north as Whāngarei. Uri from the East Coast and Taranaki also attended. The maunga karakia continued to be a time to reflect on the year and remember those of our loved ones who had passed on. This time also brings an opportunity for our local community to come and share in the maunga karakia proceedings.

Toikuranui Educational Resources

The team have been developing resources for four curriculum levels in partnership with the Ministry of Education. These resources share some of our historic kōrero and will be published in September 2022.

Supporting Māori learners and Whānau Post COVID-19 - Whānau Engagement

This project has been a collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Ngā Waihua o Paerangi, whānau and learners. It has involved defining what education looks like in our rohe and how the Ministry can support the return of whānau to the education space. The project will look at us developing our own Education strategy and will look at the implementation of the strategy to increase engagement of whānau and learners in the newly defined educational pathway going forward. We are in its infancy in terms of development and the office will continue to consult with whānau in a number of different forums.

Deana Wilson Pou Whirinaki Ngāti Rangitanga / Te Ao Tūroa Manager