• Sustainability Concepts and Challenges
• Our Goals
  • Goal 1
  • Goal 2
  • Goal 3
  • Goal 4
  • Goal 5
  • Goal 6
  • Goal 7
  • Goal 8
• Our Shifts
• Monitoring Progress
• ASF Toolkit

Goal 5

Te Puawaitanga o Te Tangata

Mana Whenua, as the indigenous peoples of the region, are enabled to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations as inherent kaitiaki and to manaaki those other communities that reside within their tribal domains. Taurahere make a significant contribution to the well-being of the region and add to the economic, cultural and social richness. The potential and value of Māori is fully realised.

This goal is about recognising and facilitating the special role of Māori in the region.

This goal provides an emphasis for the future on:

• Recognising Mana Whenua as the indigenous peoples of the region.
• According value to te Ao Māori.
• Giving due effect to Te Tiriti o Waitaingi/Treaty of Waitangi.
• Contributing to Māori needs and aspirations.

Mana motuhake is the term that best describes Mana Whenua's concept of sustainability, as it focuses on the essence of those relationships between the land, people and atua. It is about self-identity, self-sustainability and self-determination at a whanau, hapu and iwi level.

The process of working with Mana Whenua to develop parallel and interlinked sustainability frameworks is a step towards the kind or relationship envisaged by goal 5, whereby Mana Whenua are involved as a partner in the development of strategy and their contribution and perspective carries influence.

Opportunities

Māori of the region are diverse, as are their needs and aspirations. Mana Whenua are acknowledged as a fundamental element of the cultural, environmental, social and economic fabric of the region. Taurahere add to the cultural diversity of the region and are participating in a wide spectrum of activities that continue to add value to the region. Opportunities under this goal include:

• Recognising Mana Whenua relationships with ancestral taonga, their cultural practices and traditions and future development.
• Understanding the impacts of sustainability challenges on Mana Whenua and their relationships to land and people.
• Enhancing Māori participation at all levels of education. 
• Significant opportunities arise as Māori shift out of settlement mode under Te Tiriti o Waitangi to realise future potential. 
• Opportunities for advancing Māori economic development - and building on increasing Māori participation in the economy and in enterprise.
• Creating further opportunities resulting from a cultural renaissance, in particular with Te Reo Māori, creative arts and cultural heritage.

Challenges

Over the last 180 years mana whenua of the region have faced a number of sustainability challenges, and these challenges have intensified significantly in the last 50 years. The impacts of 19th century challenges such as land sales and land confiscations, continue through into the 20th century. In particular the degradation of the environment, including the loss of waahi tapu, the health of harbours and waterways is a major concern. Some of the future sustainability challenges for Maori include:

• Climate change will impact on tangata whenua relationships to ancestral taonga, cultural knowledge and practices may be at risk. Within the Auckland region tangata whenua are predominately coastal people - potential sea rise as well as other climatic events may compromise, waahi tapu, Mäori land holdings, urupa, papakainga and marae. Mitigation measures may also have a negative social and economic impact on Mäori whanau. Responses may further disadvantage Mäori.
• Mäori wish to ensure that their whanau and tamariki share in the benefits that result from global economic change. Tangata whenua are presently positioning themselves to operate in a post-settlement environment where their tribal members receive the beneftis of economic development initiatives. However balancing the economic imperative, tangata whenua have concerns in regard to the protection and control of their cultural, knowledge and natural capital.
• Regional growth remains the most significant in terms of detrimental impact on the state of the region's natural and cultural taonga. The degradation and loss of waahi tapu, mahinga kai and other cultural resources have had a major impact on the social and cultural well-being of whanau and hapu. Population growth has also put the retention of Mäori land at risk, land owners have come under pressure to sell or sustainability for whanau land is at risk. The east coast areas of Pakiri, Umupuia and Wharekawa are under increasing pressure and the fingers of growth are beginning to reach into the South Kaipara.
• The role and place of tangata whenua as part of the host communities has been largely overlooked in refugee and migrant settlement. As new peoples develop their sense of place within the region, how they develop lasting relationships with the indigenous peoples is crucial to ensuring that the place and value of tangata whenua is sustained.

Indicative Strategic Responses