Partnership with Mana whenua
As Mana whenua, we celebrate our genealogical ties to all our relations of the moana. We also acknowledge our wider Mana whenua whānau who have strong cultural ties to Waiheke; and also the local community who over many years have called this place home.
Our whakatauki underpins our deeply held beliefs and aspirations to guide us as we seek to understand and step into a role that allows each and every one of us to sense and to know what it is to become a part of nature, of our environment and the commitment required to ensure the mauri, wellspring and essence potential of Tikapa moana is resilient and deeply regenerative.
Waiheke ki uta – collectively we embrace the sacredness of Waiheke whenua, to actively collaborate to protect and regenerate the many puna, tributaries, wetlands and estuaries that flow down into Tikapa moana
Waiheke ki tai - we acknowledge the mauri of our wai tai and wai māori knowing that the health and wellbeing of our waters are intrinsically linked to the wellbeing of our communities, habitats and ecologies
Waiheke ki tua - we are guided by our creator, ngā atua, kaitiaki and ancestors to uphold our cultural practices to uplift nature, our place, our people. We are the universe and the universe is us
The descendants of Ngāti Paoa hapū for which Waiheke is our turangawaewae have wholeheartedly taken on this opportunity to collaborate and are supported by our Iwi authorities to engage directly in this kaupapa and to uphold our own rights and obligations. We are clear that we as Mana whenua will always be the constant and therefore have a duty and an obligation to manaaki others including our taiao.
We continue to explore how a treaty based partnership may evolve in an open and engaging manner acknowledging those commitments made by all our ancestors and those who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi on the foreshore of Tikapa moana at Orohe, Karaka Bay on March 4th and again on the 9th July 1840. We are cognizant of the need to come into a strong relationship with our partners, i.e. the community and that together we can be a force for positive change.
We are excited to be on this collaborative journey with the community to bring into being a regenerative approach to how we might nurture and care for our precious Tikapa moana and Waiheke Island. We have established our own Mana whenua working group to engage in the project at all levels. We are committed to support and engage our wider whānui in order to build their capability and capacity in the areas of conservation and protection in whatever discipline that may be.
We also acknowledge all Mana Whenua who also have historical ties to Waiheke including Ngāti Maru, Te Patukirikiri and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki who support the kaupapa aspirations as are in clear alignment to our kaitiakitanga roles and responsibilities for Waiheke ki uta, Waiheke ki tai, Waiheke ki tua.
The principle of developing an Ahu moana strategy simply requires a system of habitats, ecologies and communities to harmonise and to become self-regulating in order to return to a balanced state. This is what we unequivocally support and set our sights on.
Our mata kupenga
Curated by Deija Manuel (Founder and Creative Director of Pūwhata creative agency), with the support of Chris Bailey (master carver and artist) both of Ngāti Paoa, the mata kupenga whakarei portrays the intricate weaving of a fishing net – an ornate and deeply culturally significant symbolism representing abundance.
It acknowledges the biodiversity of our oceans and the vast ecologies and habitats that dwell within, reliant on one another for their oranga, their wellbeing. It supports the binding nature and aspirations for the regeneration of our immediate ahu moana, bringing a localised and potent opportunity to weave and cast the net in a sustainable way.
Mana whenua and our Waiheke community are cognisant of the interconnectedness of both land and sea which also acknowledges our relationship and co-dependencies between the many life forms woven together.
The mata kupenga is also reminiscent of a bountiful harvest symbolising the wellbeing of Tikapa Moana and remembering that as she replenishes us then so too we must reciprocate that generosity.
There are differing variations of the design of the mata kupenga among the Iwi throughout Aotearoa. This illustration of the mata Kupenga depicts a more stylised and succinct version.