Heke mai te kawa ora: New Kaitiaki taiao team

Five new kaimahi will spend the next three years reconnecting to their whenua and identity through the new Kaitiaki Taiao Team at Parininihi ki Waitōtara.

Four Te Rau Whakauruora / Kaitiaki Cadets and one Te Rau Whakaueue / Kaitiaki Supervisor have been chosen for the team, which is part of the Tupu Rawa project, says Puna Wano-Bryant, Te Rautitikura / General Manager Shareholder Engagement.

The project, delivered by PKW, this year received $1.2 million in government funding through the Department of Conservation to restore and enhance the biodiversity and cultural values across waterways, stream tributaries and wetlands throughout the Taranaki.

“That’s the largest funded of all the projects from Taranaki,” she says.

It will build on work the organisation already has under way across 3300 hectares of land adjacent to waterways.

The project is also about providing rangatahi Māori with new skills. “The objective is that, at the end, it will create a pathway for these cadets to enter into Taiao work anywhere,” Puna says.

PKW farms have waterways that require monitoring, so the Kaitiaki Taiao Team will be responsible for monitoring them, fencing and retiring land where possible.

“We recognise there are areas on our farms that need to be protected – wetlands, gullies and so on that aren’t appropriate for pasture, and also our precious wāhi tapu.”

The team members began their new roles in August, just two days before Aotearoa went into Level 4 lockdown. “We called it the long induction,” Puna laughs.

Instead of two weeks of internal inductions, they did three weeks of online wānanga. “We met with them every day via Zoom… and developed a very rich cultural and environmental programme for them.”

The ‘we’ were Puna, Tonga Karena, Te Rauwhakaihoiho / Kaitiakitanga Strategy Manager and Jo Sullivan, Te Rau Whakaueue / Kaitiaki Supervisor for the Kaitiaki Taiao Team.

Those lockdown sessions included cultural competency training, the PKW story, mātauranga Māori, incorporating Māori values into kaitiaki work, environmental science, biodiversity, water and cultural health monitoring and ecosystems.

Now they can get out on the whenua, the kaitiaki will learn a range of new skills, including water and cultural health monitoring, GIS mapping and data capture, pest control operations, fencing, riparian planting, using a chainsaw, understanding biodiversity, health and safety practices, operating a four-wheel drive off-road, and first aid.

Puna says during the first year the organisation is committed to training and developing the kaitiaki, so they can start working on the 33 PKW farms in Taranaki.

“By winter 2022, they will be responsible for water and cultural health monitoring, which is something we are currently contracting out.”

The four cadets, all from iwi throughout Taranaki, are Jordan Morehu (Ngāruahine), Luka Kamana (Ngāruahine, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Jessica Matehuirua White (Poutama, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Maniapoto) and Raniera Karena (Taranaki Iwi, Te Atiawa, Ngāruahine, Ngai Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa).

Tonga Karena says each member of the team has special qualities.

Jessica Matehuirua White

Jo Sullivan

Luka Kamana

Raniera Karena

Jordan Morehu

Jo (Ngāti Whātua Te Uri-o-Hau) has a PhD in Zoology from Massey University focusing on the taxonomy of weta.

“Her passion for the outdoors is definitely front and centre; she loves animals, and she loves the environment.”

A mother herself, Jo likes educating taiohi and has taught as part of the government’s Curious Minds project.

Her new supervisor role also involves a journey into her own taha Māori.

Luka, who Tonga describes as ambitious, humble and brave, is deeply grounded in his tikanga Māori and strongly connected to Ngāruahine iwi. “He’s very focused on learning about taiaha, so he’s a fit young man. Sport is a big part of his life.”

Jessica of the White whānau from Te Kawau, Tongaporutu, is a mother, who has concentrated on bringing up her children and being a tuakana within her wider whānau. “Jess is deeply connected to her identity and her whenua. While raising her young family she committed to her reo journey and is now a fluent speaker with much to offer our team.”

As a builder, Jordan comes from a strong ‘hands-on background, Tonga says.

“His passion is connected to being out on the tide, fishing, walking the land. He’s a mahi kai man.”

Jordan has lived in Taranaki for a while, mostly in Hawera, and is related to the Bailey whānau of Te Atiawa.

The fourth cadet, Raniera, has spent a lot of time doing farm work. Born on the coast at Ōpunakē, he is one of five brothers and has a strong sporting focus, including basketball and rugby league.

Tonga says as individuals they are amazing, but as a team they are even more outstanding. “They understand the kaupapa of PKW and its legacy and they are realising the job in front of them is an investment in their future.”