5 minute read
Good Will Hunting - Toa Hunter Gatherer
from Plenty Magazine
WORDS: MATT MORTIMER PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED
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At 10 years old, most of us would be into riding abike, maybe a bit of sport. You know, head out anddo the frosty morning bit for Saturday morning footy.
For Owen Boynton, a.k.a. Toa Hunter Gatherer, 10-years old was when he made his first longbow.
“I literally found a piece of wood and started shaping it” he says. “Made my first one when I was 10 and that was the beginning really.”
Many of us may have heard of the show Toa Hunter Gatherer on Māori Television, now into its third series. Owen also has a massive amount of support on social media channels, branded hunting wear and other endorsements. But who is this guy? If you’ve watched the series, you may be quite familiar with his background, but there is more to this Toa than meets the eye.
Owen calls the valley Waimana home in the Bay of Plenty, although he was born further south. Te Urewera the ancestral home of the Tūhoe people is a place he holds close to his heart and where his passion for bush clad mountain ranges began.
He now lives on the East Coast after moving around a lot in his childhood, to a few different spots including Wellington. His father was born in the Matahi Valley in the Waimana area and as described by Owen, “His heart never really left that valley.”
His mother was, again by Owen’s description, “a city girl”, with moving to the country style of living in Waimana no doubt being a hard transition. Owen took after his Dad, in the respect that it was clear where his preference was and where he was most comfortable. “I knew in my heart I wanted to be in the bush.’
The initial bow construction at just 10 years old was the foundation of many more custom bows to be made in his rustic workshop. They are all things of beauty, some with intricate designs carved into them, but they are as much functional as they are pieces of art. One is particularly significant, as it was created for New Zealand SAS hero Willie Apiata VC. Owen won a competition to accompany Willie and ex-All Black and television personality Mark Ellis into the bush, to hunt and experience some rugged terrain in a new ute. At the conclusion of the hunt, in a moment of reflection and thanks, Owen gifted the bow to Willie.
Word got around about this bow maker and environmentally-minded bushman and the rest, as they say, is history. Toa Hunter Gatherer isn’t just another hunting show, however. Owen is strongly committed and connected to the environment, with a special focus on more than just the adventure.
“Many people hunt and miss the amazing intricate messages from the environment along the way” he says, and so he hunts and spends time in the bush with a different outlook to most. Traditionally, Māori believe there is a deep kinship between humans and the natural world. This connection is expressed through kaitiakitanga – a way of managing the environment. This kaitiakitanga or guardianship is central to who he is, as well as his father, uncles and other whānau before him. It is a role he doesn’t take lightly, whether it is in the protection or restoration of the environment he spends so much time in or hunting the animals within it.
“As with all animals, we too take from our natural world. Within the realms of kaitiakitanga, we have a responsibility to keep a balance. We can all hunt, but at what cost? Are we contributing to better our environment or just selffulfilment? I find myself observing many hunters I come across and often ask “Do you know your environment? The fauna and plants that our quarry depend on?” he says.
He explains all animals – including humans – make an impact on the area they live in. Species introduced to New Zealand: possums, ferrets and the like impact the forests they dwell in, as well as other species they interact with.
“If something consumes, something suffers. I am frequently asked how I feel trapping innocent animals. Personally I care for every animal I kill, although there is always a genuine reason for the action. Basically if we ignore our role as kaitiaki through empathy of each individual creature that has unbalanced our environment then in the full circle something else suffers. Be open to new knowledge; hunt in good will.”
As viewers see the episodes online or on screen, they will see each time an animal has passed, it isn’t the photo opportunity many hunters take. Owen performs a karakia or prayer, such is the connection and respect he has as a kaitiaki. And learning more about the areas we all spend time in helps us learn the impact we all have and highlights the balance we need to uphold.
This approach has proven to be a hit with viewers of the programme on Māori television with series three currently in the works.
Traditional techniques are in abundance on the show, whether fishing with a bow, diving and bushcraft to name but a few. And making various forms of tea using plants from the bush is a real point of difference compared to other shows! He has also started getting people ready for the great outdoors and tramping with exercises, survival basics and being prepared, with videos of this all featuring on the Māori Television website.
One very strong characteristic binds his approach together: whānau. In a recent clip, he travels to a small town and gives away some meat to the elders there. The balance is shared amongst whānau and elders, and it illustrates the heart of the hunter that is Owen Boynton. Despite the success of a third series, the YouTube channel, the huge following on Facebook and signature range of apparel, he is still a laid back man with a heart for family.
So when the phrase ‘good will hunting’ comes to mind, we might be thinking about the famous movie from a few years back about academic genius and so forth.
But this is a different kind of genius. And a much more balanced one.
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