Our partners Te Pu-a-nga Maara remind us to attune our awareness using all of our senses. What we choose to pay attention to matters. To act with intention, we must reclaim our attention.
What I love most about this kaupapa is being part of the revival of things that actually matter. We know what matters by listening deeply to people and place.
Revival requires reconnection and reflection. Creating conscious time and space to reflect is underrated. It requires us to slow down. To take notice and attune to the tohu; signs we see only if we are open to receiving them. Environmental observation, experiential learning, engaging with koorero tuku iho, ancestral stories and ceremony. Revitalisation cannot be rushed.
Tuning in with nature's wisdom is a felt experience. Kinship as part of te taiao, the tides of the world, is intuitive. Disconnection from intuition means we don’t see the web of life we are a part of. In order to revive ancestral whakapapa connections, we need to value the work that reconnects. To recognise wairua, the spirit at the heart of wellbeing. Our shared mahi with our partners embodies this necessity.
Matariki reminds us of this value. It reaffirms the importance of indigenous, place-based knowledge in informing our way forward. A time, like all times, to manaaki Maatauranga Maaori, and show respect and care for this knowledge system. To reflect on how ancient wisdom guides our co-evolution as part of our environment. Matariki magnifies life. It holds us accountable for how we are living it.
We are working alongside our partners to support rangatahi in nurturing their innate ability to contribute to taiao ora, the health and vitality of our shared ecology. Reconnecting people with the work that regenerates te taiao in the place where they live, in ways that are meaningful to them. In ways that instill pride.
Matariki reminds us to live in gratitude. To live in ways that would make our tuupuna (ancestors) and future generations proud. A responsibility that can feel overwhelming. The collective strength and legacy this project facilitates, frames this responsibility as fuel. Empowering each individual to be self-determining in how they contribute to the oranga and wellbeing of the community. To serve as ringa atawhai, supporters nurturing the growth of the regeneration movement, requires reciprocal care and connection as part of te taiao. I see no greater aspiration.