Lake Taupo - Wai Ora Programme
Ngati Tuwharetoa has a core responsibility to protect and enhance our waterways within our rohe. It has become obvious with the multiple users of our taonga that our responsibilities have become even more essential to the mauri of the waters. We recognise that there is a place for western science to support our matauranga around our streams and waterways. Through the Tuwharetoa Asset Management Unit of the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board the Wai Ora programme was established in 2007 to monitor and to re-invigorate our relationships with our waterways.
“Researchers of Water, so that the purity of the streams, rivers and springs are assured.”
Ngati Tuwharetoa Wai Ora Programme Summary (PDF - kb)
The Ngāti Tūwharetoa rohe is filled with beautiful resources that kept our tupuna nourished for hundreds of years. These resources are tapu and all have their own mauri, mana and wairua within te ao Māori. Because of this significance it is our role as Kaitiaki to monitor these resources so that they continue to nourish our people into the future. Wai Ora is a programme that Ngatī Tūwharetoa is embarking on to help protect the health and vitality of our streams. This report analyses the results of the streams monitored and how healthy they are in relation to the Cultural Health Index. This report will analyse the streams monitored as an example of how others may choose to follow to monitor their streams in their rohe.
Download Wai Ora document (Word - 26 kb)
