Kaitiakitanga

Kaitiakitanga Program and Network
Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi children
guard and share Whirinaki,
their culture, language and values

Our Organisation:

1. The Kaitiakitanga program team (We are an Ohu).

This is a community volunteer group that will be pivotal in advancing the cause of the Iwi in the valley and beyond. It's prime role will be to help us become a dynamic "Learning Community". It sits in an overview role above all Kaitiakitanga gram activity, seeding, nurturing, facilitating and sensing opportunities, issues and progress. It functions as an incubator, so it does not normally get directly involved in the day to day execution of projects or enterprises once they are established. This is the structure the team operates within and here is the roadmap we are following.

Members of the team may ether represent specific projects ( eg Nursery and replanting), be the interface with other bodies ( eg Kura, Marae, Whanau Support) or coordinate other services (eg funding, enterprise set up, or interfaces with specific agencies that many projects could share).

The core team includes people from all main community groups including :(Names are provisional)

Program Leader: ( Earl Rewi will get the program established but we expect it will later become a more collective role involving our students as well)
Learning Community Coordinator (one person will be appointed to this role to provide local interface, continuity and administrative support)
Kaumatua - all included as our guides - Andy Kohiti, Sine Eketone, James Goldsmith,,,,,
School Board / Teaching staff - representative - Chris Eketone
Ngati Whare Runanga - representative - Bronco Carsen, James Carlson,
Kokiri Centre - Community Facilitator - Pene Olsen
Community / Parents - Timoti McMannus
Minginui Village Council - Andy Blick
Department of Conservation - informal representative - Andy Blick,
School students - at least 3 students to be involved in this team - TBA Kohunga Reo? - TBA
Whanau Support Group - Toia Rurehe

Partners - any may attend as required ( Ex pupil Peter Goldsbury will attend when necessary on behalf of Strategic Expertise Ltd - co funder and supporter to meet The Enterprise Culture and Skills Development Fund criteria)

Leadership will be shared according to the protocols our tipuna used on their waka. Three spars lashed as one form a triangle that withstands wind and wave. Each of these spars carries the knowledge from one of the three kete (baskets of knowledge).

Meetings will be arranged as required, are open and any others may attend to participate equally when needed. All decision-making will be by consensus, be driven by the Katiakiatanga kaupapa and will require a minimum of five people from the core team to be present. The core team will have control over all program funding decisions.

Our School, Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi, is the contract holder for the Kaitiakitanga program contract with the ECSD fund. The Kura will involve its students in much of the program activity both particularly at a research and enterprise skills development level.

The program works closely with recently elected Murumuraunga-Waikotikoti Marae Board currently comprising: Andy Kohiti - Chairman, Meriana Taputu, Wakeley Matekuare, Teresa Iraia, Raukura Ohlson, Jodie Mokemoke, Hinepouri Fitzell elections.

Te Runanga of Ngati Whare Iwi supports this program and will be closely involved with those projects that establish commercial enterprises in the valley.

Our Learnng Community Coordinator will work part time from the Minginui Kokiri and Health Centre, 63 Rimu Street, Minginui. RD Rotorua. Phone (07) 366 3900. Many of the project activities and research libraries will be shared with our School, Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi.

2. Team Ground rules will be Tipu Ake style e.g.

"Breath the Kaitiakitanga Kaupapa [vision of wellness]" (focus on outcomes so nothing becomes a barrier)
"Let the sunshine into our team" (remember the old values, gather in wairua [energy] and wisdom from outside)
"We have no room here for matapiko [stingy] gatekeepers" (share information and test it against others)
"Taringa Whakaro - keep our ears and minds open" (sense opportunities and what is going on, then take action)
"Own our own processes and keep them simple and effective" (don't let paperwork take over from action)
"We leave our hats at the door" (external power, politics, agenda's and any conflicts of interest are kept outside the team)
"A kumara never calls itself sweet"(ego's must not get in the way - share roles and leadership)
"Conquer the enemy within us and all others will be easy" (have the courage to face and resolve the real issues)

3. Finances and funding:

(a) Umbrella program funding:

This is used for the Kaitiakitanga program itself. What we receive from The Enterprise Culture and Skills Development Fund application will be one off seed funding and will be allocated to research and germinate specific projects that have long term commercial potential.

Our focus is to take the "Learning Organisation" kaupapa of our Kura to grow as a "Learning Community" with long term sustainability. Therefore most funding will be used to support student /community capability development, field trips, research projects and and feasibility studies to incubate new enterprises within the kura and community, rather than on external consultants, project managers, salaries and administrative overheads.

All exploratory and preparation work so far has been funded from Koha received from other parties both internationally and locally in recognition of what we shared with them in Tipu Ake. Future koha will be deposited into a special Kaitiakitanga account. The account will not have any overdraft facilities, so no forward commitments can be made if funds are not available. The Kaitiakitanga Program team will be responsible for fund raising, budgeting and all decision-making associated with its use.

A budget spreadsheet is used plan and manage all ECSD funding for the program. This is transparent and freely viewable on our website.

The Kaitiakitanga Program team is solely responsible for all finances. A separate account will be set up under Te Kura Toitu BOT for the programme and all cheques drawn will require the signatures of all three of The Kaitiakitanga Program Leader, The Program Learning Coordinator and the The Chairman, School Board of Trustees.

In addition to direct funding we have a number of volunteers, university Student teams, and groups in the community within New Zealand and internationally who are commiting their time, energy, expertise, knowledge and resources to the project as koha in kind.

(b) Direct project funding:

Individual project work will largely be done by either direct koha from volunteers or by bodies who koha funds in recognition of the outcomes they expect to get out of the project. (e.g. Potential organisations may be Environment BOP - river restoration, Historic Places trust - building restoration and signage, Creative NZ - historic cultural productions, Department of Conservation - pest control, Community Employment Group - community / individual employment capability development, Housing Corporation - housing development, or Individuals / Organisations - who wish to support projects.) Though many of the initial development projects may be externally funded this way, increasingly the focus will move towards self funding revenue and work generating opportunities.

(Note: Traditional corporate sponsorship deals with naming / advertising rights will not be entertained as they contravene our community values and the concept of trading by koha)

4. Project Activity teams and Enterprises:

These activities will normally be led by individuals or groups from within the community who will be responsible for arranging funding and / or getting revenue from their own project work. Some may use external volunteer resources (e.g. corporate staff teams, clubs or individuals engaged in river restoration or native revegetation). The Ngati Whare Runanga encourages and supports existing or new hapu groups, work gangs, sole traders, or businesses in the valley to seek funding or achieve commercial returns and future independence from any new enterprises.

The Kaitiakitanga Program Team helps facilitate and monitor the establishment of these projects, to ensure that they are firmly aligned with the Kaitiakitanga kaupapa, and that the teams have the high quality leadership and project management skills they require for success. We expect at least one of our senior school student will be involved as a representative in each of the individual project teams to ensure that the activities of each are updated and transparently visible via this website.

NOTICES AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

Our gift to you - download Free Whirinaki Matariki Wall Calendar

What Andree a sustainability writer discovered about Kaitiakitanga

Coming Easter 2010 Biomimicry Exploration - Norbert Hoeller, Auckland
David Bellamy - Moa's Ark revisited tour Whirinaki 25 4-10 Oct 09
The Maori Youth Hikoi to Bioneers Conference, San Francisco 16 Oct 08
VIDEO "Redesigning our Future" - Youth Forum with Michael Braungart

Papakainga Development - Matekuare Whanau Project underway
Minginui Community Gardening - underway thanks to Community Max

Check out our school's Energy Monitoring / Weatherstation project
Our drama production, kapakaka and other creative initiatives


Ngati Whare Iwi Treaty Settlement signed, incl partnership with DOC
WEMZ - The Whirinaki Ecological Restoration Zone - a project with DOC
DOC partnerships information kiosk, Mangamate, Sanctuary(proposed)
Take a photo tour through our valley see restoration work needed
Ready to start - our Whirinaki Centre, Nursary and Recycling Projects
Our project to upgrade our water supply in Minginui Mar 07
Thanks TPK for facilitating Govt support for Minginui initiatives

Toxin Bioremediation Project started in Whakatane May 09
Celebrate what our friends at Hokianga Harbourcare are doing
Our Network's Mycorestoration Research Project - Fungi and mushroom
Our Lopez friends help Raglan with an affordable housing project

Thanks MfE for a big toxin cleanup on our millsites - July 07
Blocked - our Community Digital Strategy - Whirinaki Interactive 12/06
Prince Andrew adopts our Kiwi, Princess Beatrice on Mokoia Is Mar 07
Our network on the Kiwi Youth Voice learning journey to US. Mar 07
Our network at Youth Voice Digital Earth Summit on Sustainbility Aug 06
We welcomed Hunter Lovins 7-9 July 06, VIDEO view NZ tour resources
Thanks Waikato University for help with broadband 05
Thanks Housing Corp, house painting and marae restoration teams
Go Tramping in Whirinaki. See Kaka, Kiwi, Weka, Robin, Blueduck
Report Living Organisation workshops. Tipu Ake presented worldwide 05
Report Hikoi to Indigenous Knowledges Conf , Well, NZ. June 05
Thanks to UNITEC Architecture Students for help with town plans 04
Report on Sustainable Resources Conf, Colorado 04
Report on PMI Global Forum, Los Angeles Tipu Ake paper 04
Report on Sharing Indigenous Wisdom Conf, Wisconsin, June 04
Int and local visitors attend Tipu Ake Retreat March 04 See report
MPs Horomia and Mallard open our new merged area school Jan 04
Trip to Whaingaroa Env Gp Raglan, Jan04 learnings, VIDEO view