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October 30, 2015
Hands on matauranga bringing Whatua whanau back to bay
Waatea Team
Posted On October 30, 2015
The winner of a Holdaway Award for leadership around the Hauraki Gulf says the tohu is recognition of work generations of tangata whenua have put into restoring the health of Tikapamoana.
Richelle Kahui-McConnell from Ngati Maniapoto is responsible for Ngati Whatua Orakei’s Okahu catchment ecological restoration plan.
The bay adjoining the hapu’s ancestral kainga was defiled by sewage being put into it a century ago, and again when the main road to the eastern suburbs was built over the sewage pipes.
She says restoration involves using the best science available as well as listening to the elders so the tribe’s matauranga and social capital is involved.
"Ngati Whatua outlined that one of their health indicators for the bay was that a healthy bay had their whanau in it and so a lot of our work is creating young kaitiaki scientists. So right from our puna all the way through our primary schools and into high schools we develop science as a portal for kaitiakitanga, and all of our young tamariki, rangatahi run our science programmes and that's to connect whanau back to the bay," she says.
Richelle Kahui-McConnell says all pipes going into the bay are now filtered, moorings are being removed, and an artificial mussel reef is being created to improve water quality.
Other winners of the awards were marine researcher Dr Nick Shears, who is advocating an extension of the seaward boundaries of the Leigh and Tawharanui marine reserves, and Rod and Sue Neureuter, who are highlighting the excessive fishing pressure around the Noises, which their family owns.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RICHELLE KAHUI McCONNELL CLICK ON THE LINK
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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