Background
In Rangitikei District, New Zealand, the Māori Ngati Hauiti iwi has been developing capacities to successfully meet challenges in areas the iwi has identified as: environment, social/health, culture and culture/politics.
Capacities and Opportunities
The iwi developed, in 1996, an environmental policy statement entitled “Kaupapa Taiao”. The policy statement has been used to guide iwi responses to resource-use management application which guides resource management applications and tribal responses. In the social/health realm, a particular focus has been combating cigarette smoking. The iwi has successfully implemented smoking cessation hui, particularly among young people. In general, there is evidence of changing attitudes towards health in general and children’s well being in particular. Culturally, the iwi has begun holding various meetings and events aimed at raising extra-community awareness of the Ngāti Hauiti iwi and fostering relationships with other communities. One example is the biannual waka hoe-organised rafting journeys down the Rangitikei River. The iwi has also successfully established a tribal research unit in order to focus capacity and maximise the impact of educational achievements of iwi members. In addition, in March 2006 the iwi launched the tribal journal Te Pūtake/Origins: The Chronicles of Ngāti Hauiti.
Challenges
Despite these achievements and evolving capacities, the Ngāti Hauiti face a number of important challenges. There are serious concerns regarding the quality of water in the Rangitikei River due to agricultural and other users. Although, as noted above, there has been success in combating smoking among youth, both smoking and alcoholism continue to create social, health and well-being problems in the community. The iwi is also working to increase individual awareness of tribal history and identity, in order to ensure a critical mass of people for ongoing tribal development. In general, the Ngāti Hauiti have identified a lack of capacity to conduct research/generate data about the iwi for use in planning, intervention and future Treaty claims processes. Discussions with faculty at the Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences are aimed at developing co-operation geared to enhancing capacity in GIS, environmental assessment and other areas.