Nuki Nicholson

01 Sep Nuki Nicholson

Nuki Nicholson, New Zealand

E tū ana au ki te taumata o Tūturu
E rere ana i ngā wai karekare o Pūarenga
Ko Wāhiao te Tūpuna Whare
Ko Te Pākira te Marae
Ko Tuhourangi te Hapū
Ko Te Arawa te iwi, Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Mere raua ko Bill Royal oku Matua
Ko Nuki Nicholson ahau

Married to Taparoto, we are blessed with our daughter Chantal and our mokopuna Reagan and Ebony.

I am 1 of 5 Waikato River Iwi Students completing my Masters (MSocsci) degree (University of Waikato). Im also the Pou Arahi Taiao – Environmental Manager for Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (TARIT). Working in my current role is a privilege which enables me to learn, while working closely with Te Arawa Kuia and Kaumatua, local government and agencies, stakeholders and Iwi representatives across the rohe.

“ Whatungarongaro te tāngata,
toi tū te whenua” –
“Man disappears, but the land remains”.

Presentation Title: Sharing Traditional Indigenous Knowledge of the Waikato River within the Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (TARIT) tribal area of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (TARIT) have recently engaged with their affiliate tribes to collect River Restoration priorities within their tribal boundary of the Waikato River in New Zealand. One of the key priorities to emerge from Te Arawa River Iwi was to collect and share traditional indigenous knowledge of the Waikato River and its tributaries. TARIT have developed two innovative projects to address this priority. The first is the deployment of iPou in the Te Arawa River Iwi tribal area. iPou are a cutting edge, IT “place based” communication tool that are designed to tell the Waikato River Iwi (tribes) story as Kaitiaki (guardians) of the river, by sharing knowledge based on Maatauranga Maaori. iPou deliver an interactive digital education platform and allow everyone with a mobile device to engage with and have an educational, informative cultural experience on the restoration and protection of the Waikato River. The second project involves sharing traditional indigenous knowledge through a cultural mapping project which will identify, preserve and share the history of Te Arawa River Iwi and its connection with the awa (river).  The connection between the Waikato River and Te Arawa River Iwi dates back hundreds of years and Te Arawa River Iwi have their own information around knowledge of whakapapa (genealogy), history, mahinga kai (food gathering areas), and wahi tapu (sacred places). This presentation will provide an overview of the Te Arawa River Iwi river restoration priorities and in particular, the tribal initiatives around sharing traditional indigenous knowledge of the Waikato River.

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