The Onetahua Restoration Project is pleased to announce the formalisation of the partnership between Tasman Environmental Trust and HealthPost Nature Trust with Manawhenua ki Mohua (MKM).
For HealthPost Nature Trust and Tasman Environmental Trust, this partnership with Manawhenua ki Mohua is underpinned by themes of abundance, health and well-being.
At the heart of the partnership lie three core values.
Whanaungatanga: Being trusted partners. By being fair and honest in our interactions, we can promote a culture of transparency and accountability, and develop enduring relationships through shared experience.
Manaakitanga: Respect, generosity and care for each other and the environment. Through our actions, we aim to strengthen the life force, resilience, and integrity of ecosystems, with people as an integral part of those ecosystems. We aim to tread lightly and enhance the natural environment.
Wairuatanga: The spiritual dimension of all existence. The all-inclusive wellbeing of an individual, but also the spiritual synergy of the collective with which individuals identify.
The partnership stands to be greatly enriched by MKM knowledge and aspirations which will raise awareness of the environment and cultural importance of Onetahua. By sharing pūrākau (stories) and pakiwaitara (narratives), we can grow our understanding of tikanga and achieve more holistic and enduring outcomes.
Manawhenua ki Mohua (MKM) is an umbrella entity for three Iwi living in Mohua; Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa. MKM is made up of whānau (families) who whakapapa (have ancestral ties) to Mōhua, and a representative from each of the three Iwi Trusts.
MKM whānau (families) are the descendants of Māori chiefs, who became guardians of the rohe (area) through raupatu (conquest) and intermarriage; a responsibility, which is passed down by way of whakapapa (genealogy). The hau kāinga (home people) have maintained ahi kā roa (long term residence) in Mohua since their tūpuna (ancestors) arrived in the rohe (area). As kaitiaki, MKM whānau seek to uphold the cultural, spiritual and environmental integrity of Mohua for past, present and future generations.