Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui Trust
Whanganui never refers to our human role in upholding our connection with our natural environment as a kaitiaki role. To us, our kaitiaki are the mouri or spiritual guardians with whom we are innately interconnected. Hence our role as humans is termed tangata tiaki (tangata: people, tiaki: to protect or care).
The purpose of Te Ngakinga o Whanganui Trust is to invest and grow the iwi’s assets, cultivating with great care and diligence our shared iwi garden in order to continue to grow and expand our seed bank and storage houses to provide for future generations. Hence the reference to te ngakinga (ngaki: to weed, to plant or cultivate).
Following the commencement of the settlement legislation on 5 May 2017, Ngā Tāngata Tiaki became the Mandated Iwi Organisation (MIO) under the Māori Fisheries Act for Whanganui Iwi, and Whanganui Iwi Fisheries Limited (WIFL) (formally Te Whiringa Muka Trust) has been transferred to Ngā Tāngata Tiaki Group.
When we are ready to harvest we are careful to ensure that we take the fruit or hua but not destroy the tree or crop unnecessarily. As Te Whawhaki is the key distribution arm of the NTT group, its role is to ensure that what is available is harvested and that the rest is left to seed and grow further opportunities (whawhaki: gather, harvest or pick).
Te Whawhaki is guided by its strategic intent document Te Rautaki o Te Whawhaki.
Te Whawhaki is also responsible for Te Mana o Te Awa. Te Mana o Te Awa are initiatives derived from the relationship between Whanganui Iwi and Genesis Energy. An initiatives agreement called Hei Whainga Take Ki Te Mana o Te Awa signed in April 2012, was agreed to resource projects that enhance and protect health and wellbeing of Te Awa Tupua.
Register
Do you whakapapa to the Whanganui River? Would you and your whānau like to be registered on the Whanganui Iwi Database? What does that mean?
It means that you get sent pānui and updates on kaupapa related to the Whanganui River and Te Awa Tupua, the people and the river from the Mountains to the Sea. You can also apply for the different grants that are advertised on our website and facebook page.
If you are already on the database and need to up date your details please head to the database or send us an email at office@ngatangatatiaki.co.nz