RESTORATION IN MOTION
Te Kautuku Wānanga - Insights from the Pilot
About Te Kautuku
Te Kautuku is a 930-hectare Māori land block in the Northern Waiapu Valley on the East Coast. Steeped in whakapapa and cultural heritage, this whenua has been held intergenerationally through whakapapa - an enduring relationship between mana whenua and their ancestral lands. Te Kautuku represents a living laboratory of land transition - a whenua-led pilot underpinned by kaupapa Māori, research partnership, and a regenerative vision that blends ancestral knowledge with modern tools.
Te Kautuku is governed by an Ahu Whenua Trust - one of the core legal mechanisms for managing multiple-owned Māori land in Aotearoa. Trustees play a pivotal role in making decisions on behalf of hundreds of landowners, balancing cultural obligations, legal responsibilities, environmental challenges, and economic potential. This wānanga affirmed their central role as kaitiaki and strategists, navigating the impacts of historical land policies and fragmentation toward a future that enables everyday rangatiratanga and the practice of place-based wisdoms.
A morning view from Ohinewaiapu Marae.
Purpose of the Wānanga
Held at the Ohinewaiapu Marae on the 8th of May 2025, this wānanga brought together landowners, trustees, whānau, rangatahi, AgResearch teams, and community members to share updates, present findings, and reimagine a collective path forward for Te Kautuku. The day created space for whanaungatanga, learning, and place-based innovation rooted in cultural and environmental integrity.
Participants
Around 30–35 people took part in the wānanga throughout the day. This included trustees, whānau, local advisors, rangatahi, researchers from AgResearch, digital storytellers, ringawera, and other members of the extended support network - each contributing to the kaupapa in unique and meaningful ways.
WHAT THE DAY COVERED
The wānanga centred around six interconnected regeneration projects underway at Te Kautuku:
Native reforestation and fencing
The restoration of Paikea’s ancestral trail
Waterway revitalisation of the Waikaka River catchment
Erosion control and slope stabilisation
Establishment of a native nursery
Biodiversity restoration, taonga species monitoring, and pest management
Each project was presented by members of the whānau alongside AgResearch partners, with a strong focus on co-design, mātauranga Māori, and practical steps toward long-term sustainability and land sovereignty.
Rangi Raroa sharing insights and updates from Te Kautuku.
KEY THEMES AND TAKEAWAYS
Grounded in Whakapapa: The story of Te Kautuku was traced from its earliest tīpuna through the disruptions of past land governance systems to today’s whānau-led approach grounded in place, identity, and intergenerational responsibility.
Whenua-led Science: A standout feature of this kaupapa is the integration of mātauranga Māori with Western science, from geospatial modelling and water quality testing to DNA sampling and native plant identification - each method was explored in the context of local tikanga and lived experience
Data with Integrity: The group explored how data collected on the whenua - whether biological, environmental, or lived - could one day be used to support restoration, recognition and revenue, while staying under the ownership and control of mana whenua.
A Vision for the Future: Participants imagined a thriving 2075, with restored biodiversity, taonga species return, tourism potential, housing for landowners, and native cover replacing erosion-prone areas. A creative timeline and participatory canvas exercise helped capture these aspirations visually.
