Why We Write
At Tū Mai Te Toki Communications, our mahi is rooted in storytelling that uplifts te ao Māori and champions the voices of our people. Sometimes that storytelling takes the form of a blog, a video, or a campaign. And sometimes, it’s a submission to Government—firm, principled, and grounded in whakapapa.
Recently, we’ve worked alongside Te Rōpū Pounanao o Ngāti Awa to craft three submissions: one opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill, and two supporting stronger Indigenous partnership and leadership in the implementation of Te Mana o te Taiao and the review of Predator Free 2050. These submissions weren’t just bureaucratic paperwork—they were an assertion of mana motuhake, an act of care for Motutohorā, and a call to embed mātauranga Māori where it belongs: at the heart of environmental decision-making.
1. Te Mana o te Taiao – Holding the Vision to Account
Te Rōpū Pounanao expressed strong support for the strategic intent of Te Mana o te Taiao, particularly its emphasis on honouring Te Tiriti, elevating rangatiratanga, and embedding mātauranga Māori. But intent alone is not enough.
The submission calls for sustained, targeted investment in Māori-led biodiversity projects and explicit recognition of cultural monitoring tools—like those used in the cross-cultural manu kuia programme that was being planned for Motutohorā—as legitimate indicators of ecosystem health. Because when you can smell the island, hear the call of the birds, and feel the mauri of a place, that too is data.
2. Predator Free 2050 – Shifting the Goalposts to Manaaki Whenua
Predator control is only part of the story. For Pounanao, the return of manu kuia, tuatara, and kiwi to Motutohorā is a tohu of something deeper: the resurgence of Ngāti Awa kaitiakitanga. In its submission to the Predator Free 2050 review, the rōpū called for the strategy to move beyond eradication metrics and instead embrace wider cultural and ecological outcomes.
The submission urges Government to resource Māori workforce development, embed co-governance structures, and elevate iwi-led predator management as a cornerstone of the PF2050 vision. Because to be predator free is not just to remove pests—it is to clear a path for taonga to thrive again.
3. Regulatory Standards Bill – Rejecting a One-Size-Fits-All Future
The Regulatory Standards Bill, as currently drafted, would entrench systems that continue to marginalise Māori worldviews in environmental governance. Pounanao's submission was clear: this Bill is a threat to tino rangatiratanga, to mātauranga Māori, and to the work of kaitiaki like those restoring Motutohorā.
Without a Tiriti clause or provision for Māori-led approaches, the Bill risks recentralising power in ways that ignore the lessons of successful partnerships like Te Tapatoru ā Toi. We joined the call to withdraw or radically revise the Bill—and reminded decision-makers that regulatory "neutrality" often reinforces the status quo of exclusion.
At their core, these submissions are about voice. They are how we speak into spaces that too often overlook or silence Māori knowledge and leadership. They are how we insist on being seen—not just as stakeholders, but as rangatira and mana whenua.
And then to help bring this kaupapa to life, we’re also proud to share a two-part video series featuring Rapata Kopae, Pou Tuara of Te Rōpū Pounanao. In these videos, Rapata speaks from the heart about what kaitiakitanga means to him, and why the protection of Motutohorā and its taonga is not just a job—it’s a responsibility passed down through generations.
We have included Part 1 and Part 2 of the video series alongside this blog, and we’ve also chopped it up and used it for ongoing content on the Pounanao Tik Tok. Part 2 has also be shared across our social media channels to help spark kōrero and connection around this kaupapa.
Next week, we’ll share Part 3—alongside the second half of this blog series—which will explore the deeper wānanga behind Pounanao’s mahi, and how storytelling and submission writing are woven into the fabric of Ngāti Awa’s leadership on the island.
At Tū Mai Te Toki, this is why we write. Because every submission is also a story—a story of whakapapa, of whenua, and of our ongoing struggle to protect both.
