Ko Wai Mātou

Through collaboration, leadership, and kaupapa Māori, Tiaki Taonga brings together iwi, hapū, and whānau to shape a future where Māori lead the care, protection, and appropriate use of their taonga.

Diagram

Ngā Roopū | Groups

The Tiaki Taonga movement is guided by a collaboration of roopū. The strength of Tiaki Taonga lies in the collective effort from those who contribute their expertise, guidance, and vision to this movement. Each group plays a unique and vital role in shaping our kaupapa.

Te Taumata Whakapūmau – Leadership Group

This leadership group is the official collectivisation of the original claimants’ whānau and iwi. They carry the legacy of Wai 262, ensuring the mauri of Wai 262 is sustained, guiding the vision for the movement’s future.

Te Aho Matua – Ngā Tohunga

Made up of tohunga and knowledge holders, Te Aho Matua provides guidance to ensure tikanga and the mana of the kaupapa remain intact. Their wisdom and expertise ground the movement in mātauranga Māori. Collectively this rōpū provides guidance through Kanohi Ora engagement in the interpretation and application of tikanga to ensure the mana and integrity of the kaupapa is kept intact.

Tai 262 – Ngā Taiohi o Wai 262

The next generation of Wai 262 leaders.  This roopū is made up of taiohi who are the descendants of the original claimants. They are the legacy holders and practitioners of mātauranga Māori pertaining to ngā mahi

Tiaki Taonga. Under the guidance of Te Aho Matua, Tai 262 is equipped with the tirohanga to advance the mauri of Wai 262 into the future.

Te Kahu Aronui – Lead Technicians

Te Kahu Aronui is focussed on creating practical solutions and legislative frameworks to protect taonga and mātauranga. These lead technicians ensure the principles of tino rangatiratanga are central to all decision-making, providing expert advice to Wai 262 Taumata Whakapūmau

Te Iho Tāniko – Activated Technicians

Te Iho Tāniko, the teina counterpart to Te Kahu Aronui, is made up of activated technicians. They support the kaupapa with research and case studies, testing ideas and solutions to ensure they align with the Tiaki Taonga Framework.

Ngā Iho Pūmanawa – Collecting Insights

These are the experts, creatives, and practitioners from across te ao Māori. They contribute their knowledge and insights to the movement through Kanohi Ora and research projects. This roopū brings depth and diversity to the kaupapa, ensuring it is robust and inclusive. They are actively working to build capacity among the claimants, their whānau, hapū and iwi.

Te Here Whakapapa

Tiaki Taonga Tohu Explained

The weaving of the six strands produces a special type of taura – cylinder-like, it is a strong foundation for progress.
The six strands in our tohu signify the six claimant whanau who have spearheaded a process to weave together:

  1. connection to land
  2. relationships
  3. responsibility / obligation
  4. Māori worldview / Indigenous paradigm
  5. whakapapa
  6. wairua

The taura (bound rope) is a treasure, handed down through generations. As more strands are woven in, the rope strengthens. That is the essence of the Māori treasure; it carries the thoughts and knowledge of our ancestors. It is a tangible and intangible heirloom we are obliged to care for.

We must continue to weave this rope so that our mokopuna have something to hold onto.
The taura is a symbol of unity when weaving a common purpose, and it can carry the seeds of generations descended from the Wai 262 claimants.

Through Tiaki Taonga we urge our communities to come together and strengthen the binding of our foundational and guiding principles.