Kia hūmārie tōu haere - come alongside us

Taipuni Ruakere responds to the question: If a school came to you and wanted to develop a relationship with tangata whenua, what would you tell them?

In this conversation Taipuni Ruakere speaks with Alex Barnes about how schools and other organisations can come alongside tangata whenua in a way that supports hapū aspirations.

Taipuni Ruakere and his whānau live in Puniho Pā in on the ancestral lands of his iwi and hapū in Taranaki. Taipuni has a strong environmental and educational background and advocates for his whānau, hapū and iwi daily. Presently, he works with Te Kāhui o Taranaki on the following interrelated issues:

  • capturing the health of whenua (land), awa (rivers) and moana (ocean)
  • data capture and analysis
  • supporting Taranaki iwi marae with resource consents
  • communication with locals/visitors
  • investigating complaints with Councils
  • reporting and communicating with marae, hapū and Te Kahui o Taranaki

WATCH: If a school came to you and wanted to develop a relationship with tangata whenua – mana whenua, what would you tell them?

Jump to transcript

In this video:

Mihi
Introducing Taipuni Ruakere: his people and his mahi
The key question for this kōrero
Hapū and iwi are overwhelmed – we’re still growing capacity
Taipuni’s advice for schools: come alongside us
Advice for schools wanting to engage
Share the load with your Māori teachers
Let go of your agenda and timeframes
Be cautious and be aware of hapū priorities
Western science and mātauranga Māori working together
Searching for that which was lost
Curriculum in action – bringing our young people with us
Final words of thanks and encouragement