Ko Ngati Hine, Ngatiwai, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi  

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Kia Ora! I come from a working family. I’ve been self-employed for ten years.  My children attended kura in Motatau, Waikare & Whangarei.  I’m a landowner of Mangamuka, Maungapohatu North, Maunu, Ngati Hine, and Waikare and I run our whanau maara at Te Rewarewa, Whangarei. 

 

I’ve invested 20 years in Maori environmental management, specialising in air, water, soil, community monitoring and restoration projects.  I’m an effective leader with 10 years of international relations and policy expertise in oceans, climate, biodiversity & indigenous rights.  I gave evidence at the Waitangi Tribunal Te Paparahi o Te Raki Stage 1 Hearings concerning sovereignty and the meaning and effect of Te Tiriti. 

 

I have had a twenty-year career, pioneering in communicating and developing indigenous solutions to climate, water, food and biodiversity.  I have a collective of 15 years experience managing the environmental portfolios of Ngatiwai, Ngati Hine and Ngati Rehia. 

 

My Board experience includes, Ngati Hine Forestry Trust, a Northland land trust with an estimated worth of $30M and interests in property, kiwifruit, manuka and pinus radiata.  My international Board experience includes Cultural Survival, a 50 year old, multi-million dollar, not for profit organization, which provides a quarterly magazine highlighting indigenous stories and issues from around the world and the Earth Defenders Grant.

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I have represented indigenous peoples at the Pacific regional and global level, in regard to indigenous biological diversity and climate change.  Having worked in over 30 countries, the highlight of which was leading the Pacific indigenous voice during the Paris Agreement negotiations.    

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My specialty in traditional knowledge of biodiversity, establishing stakeholder and community collectives for catchment management, environmental policy and traditional knowledge indicators for monitoring programmes have led to sector advances around nature based solutions in the development space.

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More recently I have established an educational platform via my website for educating people on traditional knowledge of the environment, including native forest resources and indigenous heritage food, due to my belief in education being key to ensuring a healthy future for all.  

With your support I will strongly represent Maori interests to prioritise addressing growing inequalities of our region, clean air & freshwater, restored biodiversity & coastal habitats, for a stable climate.