Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao employs a team of professionals to look after and advance the rights and interest of Hokonui Rūnanga through taiao related projects and engagement. Our role is to:
Ko aku waka whakairo ko Takitimu, ko Uruao
Kei runga ko Ōparure
Kei raro ko Mataura e rere ki te moana o te Ara a Kiwa
Ko Māruawai taku whenua taurikura e takoto nei
Takoto mai ko Matamata, te mōkai tapu o Rakitauneke,
te taniwha
Ko Te Au-nui Pihapiha Kanakana te rere
Ko Hoka-nui, Kowhaka-ruru, Tarahau-kapiti ngā puke
Ko Tūtemakohu raua ko Te Rakitauneke ngā tīpuna
Tū mai ko Ō Te Ika Rama, te whakaruruhau o te mano
Tēnei te reo o Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngāti Kurī,
Ngāi Tahu ngā iwi
Kia taurikura ai. Kia haumako ai ko te taiao mo te apōpō
Let the land be prosperous and fertile for future generations
Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao has been established to sustainably support the growth of Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao
by enhancing self-determination to manage, restore, and provide for te ao tūroa (the natural world).
We will develop leaders and connect ngā tangata to the whenua through teaching and knowledge sharing as kaitiaki.
We will uphold the mana and rangatiratanga of e taiao in the realm of Rakinui and Papatuānuku.
In 2021 the Kaupapa Taiao Team won the Environmental Action in Water Quality Environment Southland Community Award.
The following is from the Environment Southland website:
Hokonui Rūnanga’s environmental arm is seriously impressive. The Hokonui Rūnanga Kaupapa Taiao programme started in December 2020.
The purpose of this programme was to ensure the Rūnanga increased capacity across the Mataura catchment with a focus on Mātauranga Māori.
They identified a need to develop a specialist set of skills to support the delivery of their environmental projects and have recently
gained funding from LINZ and DOC – Jobs for Nature.