We acknowledge the mana and kotahitanga of all those in the GIFT community in their mahi to restore the mauri of Tīkapa Moana Te Moananui-ā-Toi. Key insights from GIFT with a focus on “what is effective in restoring mauri” are shared below. The aim is to share learning so that others working to restore mauri can apply these insights to their mahi. They are drawn from a review of GIFT documentation by Centre for Social Impact Associates Kate Cherrington and Kat Dawnier.
WEHI: Restoring Mauri
01 Whakapapa
IHI: Principles of practice
Understanding and connecting to origin stories of the people and the land
What it looks like
- Collaboration with Mana Whenua; building deep knowledge of hapū and their connections
- Genuine engagement with Tangata Whenua and valuing high trust reciprocal relationships that recognise history and the role of Iwi as kaitiaki
- Cultivating human connectedness to Te Taiao – engaging people’s emotional, spiritual, cultural and ‘felt’ connections with land and sea
- Using arts and creativity to build understanding and connection
WEHI: Restoring Mauri
02 Whakawhanaunga
IHI: Principles of practice
Shared understanding of our responsibilities and the different ways we may express those
What it looks like
- Whānau, hapū and Iwi taking leadership and decision-making roles
- Engaging in ways that are right for Mana Whenua and that address issues of over-consultation, overstretched capacity and other dynamics
- Decolonisation of power structures and decision-making processes; bringing bicultural practice to the governance table as well as operationally; co-governance models; working in mana-enhancing ways
- Giving voice to rangatahi and empowering rangatahi leaders
- Raising voices and sharing knowledge – including the perspectives of non-human parts of Te Taiao
WEHI: Restoring Mauri
03 Kia Mau te Wana o te Mauri
IHI: Principles of practice
- Remaining in awe of what mauri is and means
- Respecting the time, work and journey
- Understanding mauri is a continuous journey and reflection
What it looks like
- Ensuring that the concept of Mauri is well understood and placed at the centre – not just of the investment focus but within each organisation and community leading change efforts
- Intentional commitment by non-Māori to value and honour Mauri, and build understanding of Mauri e.g., through wānanga
- Building cultural intelligence to practice in a way that resonates with the concept of Mauri and with Te Ao Māori more broadly
- Listening to hapū and Iwi to determine how Mauri is changing; understanding and hearing the intrinsic link between the Mauri of an ecosystem and the wellbeing of hapū and Iwi
- For the people engaging in restoring Mauri – building a relationship with your own Mauri, slowing down, restoring energy
- Advocacy to encourage others’ consideration of Mauri as a priority outcome; which also helps centre Māori voices
- Slowing down – taking time and space to be relationship focused and holistic
- Crowd-sourcing evidence (from grantees and partners) around what is blocking change and where there is potential to restore Mauri
- Patient and long-term, flexible financial commitment
- Investing in evaluation capacity, particularly framed around Mauri
WEHI: Restoring Mauri
04 Rangatiratanga
IHI: Principles of practice
- A desire to be collaborative and interdependent
- Utilising the resources and people at hand
What it looks like
- Efforts across interdisciplinary people of common interest (spanning Mana Whenua, communities, business and government) to restore Mauri in ways that reflect the interconnectedness of ecosystems and people
- Making space for dialogue; intentional convening to build hope, connectedness and integration of ideas and practices
- Dismantling silos – greater cross-Government leadership and connectivity of strategies and investments
- Collaborative investment; impact investing alongside more traditional forms of funding
- Shifting mental models from individualism to collectivism
- Creating space and getting out of the way for Māori to exercise Tino Rangatiratanga
- Seeding and scaling new ways of working with high impact potential; investing in new knowledge
- Building buy-in to collective accountability and stewardship, and social willingness for change; creating a ‘change community’
- Leveraging social willingness for change to galvanise political will for bolder structural, policy and regulatory changes and steepened targets
WEHI: Restoring Mauri
05 Mātauranga Māori
IHI: Principles of practice
- Prioritising Mātauranga Māori
- Blending Mātauranga Māori with Western and other knowledge systems
What it looks like
- Prioritising wider understanding and use of Indigenous knowledge
- Holding space for knowledge systems to co-exist; leadership to navigate the blending of knowledge; access to cultural advisors
- Bicultural practice developed over time through honest dialogue, openness to receiving learning, holding space for Mātauranga and building meaningful relationships based on mutual respect
- Facilitating creative idea generation processes that embrace Mātauranga, other knowledge systems and imagination