Our Kaikōrero 2026

The Restoration of Waimimiha Through the Eyes of Toheroa.

This presentation brings together iwi leadership, environmental science and mātauranga Māori to explore the restoration of Waimimiha and the kaupapa to support the return of freshwater to Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē.

He kaakahi whakairoiro, he kaaeo whakahirahira.

Taaura paerunga (PhD candidate) at Ootaakou Whakaihu Waka exploring maatauranga Maaori and maatauranga aa-ira of our taonga species, the kaaeo (freshwater mussels).

This project has brought me home to Waikato and back to my tupuna, Te Awa o Waikato.

Our rangahau focuses on a taonga awa, the kaaeo, also known as kaakahi. We bring together mātauranga and cutting-edge molecular tools to explore the whakapapa and pūrākau of kaaeo, deepening our understanding of our kaaeo hapū along the awa.

Building on this, we will investigate the impacts of climate change on our awa and, importantly, explore how our taonga will adapt to a dynamic future river system.

Follow the Water: Tirotiro ki te Wai and the Right to Know Our Own Place

Sandy Wakefield is a Whangārei-based filmmaker and environmental researcher with Aki Tai Here. Her work brings together kaupapa Māori research to environmental restoration

Looking back on Aki Tai Here’s 2024 Tirotiro ki te Wai project, Sandy reflects on what happens when māori gather freshwater knowledge on their own terms. From Whangārei streams to the decisions made far from them, this is a kōrero about observation, memory and what counts as evidence. What stays with us when a project ends? And why does following the water lead us to uncomfortable places?