A day of tree-planting at Ōkuri Marae in Te Tairāwhiti fostered awareness of the interconnection between people, whenua, and wairua, and highlighted sustainable care practices, by weaving together the care of the land with tikanga and whanaungatanga. This holistic engagement nurtured not only the land but also strengthened identity, belonging, and collective responsibility.
Tamariki getting their hands in the soil
Day 1 planting result
I whakahaerehia he rangi whakatō rākau māori ki Okuri Marae, hei whakahou, hei whakapakari hoki i te taiao o tēnei kaenga, ā, i muri i te pānga kino nei a Gabrielle.
He wāhanga tēnei o tētahi kaupapa whānui hei whakapakari i te hononga ki te whenua, hei whakapiki i te kanorau ā-ahua, ā, hei whakamānawa i ngā tūpuna mā te tiaki i te whenua.
I whai wāhi mai te 25 mokopuna, rangatahi, pakeke ki ngā rangi whakatō. I whakatōhia he rau mano tipu māori i ngā wāhi maha o te marae. I mahi ngātahi ngā kaiuru ki te whakarite oneone, ki te whakatō tipu, ā, ki te whakawhiti mātauranga mō te hiranga o ia momo rākau.
I hōhonu ake ngā mōhiotanga o ngā tangata ki te hiranga nui ki to ratou ahurea, otirā, te mahi nui o ngā rākau māori. I ako i ngā tikanga tuku iho mō te whakatō, ngā waiata, me ngā karakia hei tautoko i te mahi.
I whakatupu tēnei wheako i te mōhiotanga mō te hononga o te tangata ki te whenua me te wairua, ā, i whakapūmau i ngā tikanga tiaki toitū.
The experience fostered awareness of the interconnection between people, whenua, and wairua, and highlighted sustainable care practices, by weaving together the care of the land with tikanga and whanaungatanga . This holistic engagement nurtured not only the land but also strengthened identity, belonging, and collective responsibility.
Planting with Huiterangiora Kaitiaki
“I pai ki ahau te whakatō rākau, i te mea i āwhina mātou i te whenua kia ora anō ai, i muri i te āwhā. I kī mai taku kuia ka tipu kaha ngā rākau, pēnei i a mātou.”
