What does Kaitiakitanga (safeguarding our future) really mean?
Kaitiakitanga is a different way of looking at our world; where we know we do not own the earth (or the plot of land we think we have title to) to exploit as we wish. Instead we understand that we and all life is created from Papatuanuku (Mother Earth) and supported by her in a very inter-connected way.
Kaitiakitanga is something that starts from within ones own self and spreads outwards when we realise that it is the job of our families, communities and all nations to look after all the richness of our world for future generations; a role where we are assistants to our Gods and our ancestors. This is not just about our physical environment, but also includes the language, culture and wisdom that has been reliably passed down to us over hundreds of generations.
Our job is to pass this on to all in a state better than we found it - just like when we pass the batten in a relay race, only this time there is much more to lose if we drop it.
Read what our friend Andrèe, a sustainability writer from Quebec discovered about Kaitiakitanga while in Aotearoa. See it explained for young people on the Outlook For Someday site and enter their video competition. Visit the NZ Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's discussion forum on Kaitiakitanga and Sustainability. View a child speaking to the United Nations. Read about and enter the UN Environmental program Plant a billion trees campaign
Also read Systems thinking and common ground by Dr John Peet, University of Canterbury, NZ which relates Maori values and processes to multidisciplinary scientific systems thinking. Also a paper by Te Kipa Kepa Brian Morgan, University of Auckland Engineering School - "A Tangata Whenua perspective on Sustainability using the Mauri Model" and also "Traditional Approaches to Forest Management and the Mauri Model"
These relate to "Not just trees in the Ground - The Social and Economic Benefits of Conservation Projects" a WWF (NZ) Publication. Download also from bottom of Local Government Council - Maori Engagement reports
DOWNLOAD VIDEOCLIPS Come with us on our trip to see "Kaitiakitanga in Action at Whaingaroa"(20mins-32Mb), "Share with Environmentalist Hunter Lovins in Whirinaki" (27mins-44Mb), and watch Hunter Lovin's dialogue with Kiwi Youth (includes forums on: Nature, Communities, Environment, Agriculture, Business, Cities, Economy, Learning.) See how the Kiwi Youth Voice is growing and their actions, plus some podcasts that support them. See how this fits in with Al Gore's movie "The Inconvenient Truth". View Paul Hawkins on Blessed Unrest - How the largest movement in the world came into being and why no one saw it coming. Watch the video about the Natural Step Framework (60mins) to see what this all means for science and business. Treaty debate with Charles Royal on identity and tinorangatiratanga. Rose Pere's Coincious Media Network interview on our relationship with Mother Earth
We the children at Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi are the future Kaitiaki (guardians) of the Whirinaki Forest. Ngati Whare Iwi is also an endangered species, so with our network of supporting partners around the world we are doing some radical things to ensure that the forest, land, our wisdom and culture are preserved and shared with all future childrens. What we are doing
Our Vision of Ora (Wellbeing and much more):
"Our grandchildren will cherish Whirinaki Forest and the culture of its people; thanking us for preserving its richness and diversity for them to share with their grandchildren and all future peoples"
Our program roadmap is a powerpoint display that shows a network of the many interconnected routes we are taking to help us get there.
Program Outline:
See our program history and overview to see how our Kaitiakitanga program started, and find out about the application we submitted for Enterprise Culture and Skills Development funding application in July 2003.
This program is a work-in-progress. We are making new connections, learning new things and growing more ideas for things we could do every day. See what we learnt on our field trip to Whaingaroa (Raglan). To manage this flexible program with so many potential projects, we are using the organic techniques we pioneered at our school. These are documented as the Tipu Ake ki te Ora Lifecycle - An Organic Leadership Model for Innovative Organisations.
Our project list (program of projects) is the main document we use to record all our project ideas and coordinate all the key things that all the different groups in our community are doing. It gives a summary of the status of every project and points to more information (including an issues list and progress log) about each when required. Everything is transparent and can be accessed on our web site by anyone, anywhere in the world.
You can see how we are trying to get ourselves organised, who our partners are, our program plan, our program progress log our program sensing / issues register and our overall budget. You can also find out how we try to lead and fund our individual projects. We have our ups and downs but always remain positive and learn from them.
For some key projects we have active, see our Project Descriptions and Powerpoint Roadmaps for Community Concept Plan (Completed), Whirinaki Nursery*, Whirinaki Enterprise Centre* (* temp suspension waiting for possible toxin hazard tests in compound) Whirinaki Interactive (Web/multimedia) and External Networks . In the meantime we got on with our housepainting, marae restoration, broadband rollout,water supply and DOC species recovery projects.
Thanks to recent Government agency support we are now starting to address some of our roadblocks in Minginui.
Join in please:
Please take time to see what we are doing. We hope it inspires you. If you have any knowledge, expertise, energy, equipment or excess funds to help us we would appreciate you offering this as koha to our cause. Just click on the "join in" menu at the top of each page.
In any case please note our web site URL http://www.kaitiakitanga.net , and pass it on to others on your network who may be interested