We’ve planted 400 trees up here as a school. One of our syndicates is Maungakawa Syndicate and we wanted to be environmental leaders up here. When I walk around here I like to think that the increase in bird life is thanks in some part to our kids.
We noticed that in the Ngāti Hauā Summary of Settlement, that the Maungakawa and Gudex Reserve areas were also referred to as the Pukemako area.
Some people have been visiting Maungakawa every weekend for 20 years.
We talked about the people we had met on Maungakawa and listed the themes of their reasons for visiting.
We found out that people still use Maungakawa for healing and health reasons. Mostly staying fit but also as a place to relax and do some thinking.
There were people we met who were interested in the preservation of the native bush and birds on Maungakawa.
People visit Maungakawa because they have never been before and they have been told it’s a peaceful place, with beautiful views.
We recently resurrected the ‘Friends of Sanitorium Hill’ - we feel very passionately about this place and we’ve done lots of the recent replanting up here like the kowhai over there. We feel a bit upset that we don’t know what’s going on with the Treaty Settlement. We’ve had a long investment in this area - well the Friends have - we hope that everything gets looked after"
We met people who had come to Maungakawa because it is a great place to view the land below. They were looking at the progress of the new SH1 road.
People visit Maungakawa to keep fit and healthy.
The Trustees have established a council of elders of Ngāti Hauā known as Te Kahui Kaumatua o Hauā, to which each marae has appointed one koroua and one kuia.
Te Kahui Kaumatua o Hauā is responsible for:
Advising the Trustees on matters involving Ngāti Hauā tikanga, reo, kawa and korerō
Facilitating any disputes that may arise in
connection with the Trust or any part of the Ngāti Hauā Group regarding the tikanga, reo, kawa and korerō of Ngāti Hauā
Protecting the mauri of Ngāti Hauā
The environment is one of the most important areas to work in as it will not only provide economic sus- tainability but ongoing employment for our people of the future. - Rangitionga Kaukau (Raungaiti Marae Representative - Ngati Haua Trust Board)
The connection with the land is the thing for our Ngāti Hauā people.
An example of Wahi Tapu would be the Pa that stood on Maungakawa a long time ago. Some of our people are still buried up there.
The approach we have taken has been to adopt a kaitiaki a rohe approach which sees each of the Ngāti Hauā marae play an active role in the handling of environmental matters within their exclusive rohe. Each marae has elected a kaitiaki a rohe who is responsible for liaising on any environmental issues within their exclusive rohe.