TUHOE TUAWHENUA TRUST

TRUST REPORT 2008-2011

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CONTENTS

Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust 3

Chairman’s Introduction 4

Trust Report 6

Introduction 7

Trust Achievements 2008-11 9

Trust Organisation 25

Appendices 26

Appendix I: List of Blocks in Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust 27

Appendix II: List of Publications about TTT 28

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TUHOE TUAWHENUA TRUST

He aha? We are trustees through an Ahuwhenua trust for 25 blocks in the Tuawhenua region

He aha te take? Our purpose is to:

Retain ownership of the Tuawhenua lands to the original hapu and whanau

Fulfil overall kaitiaki responsibility of the lands vested in the Trust

Make Te Tumanako o te Tuawhenua happen

Pēhea te whakatutuki? We work in the following ways with the land, resources and people of the Tuawhenua

Research

Feasibility studies and business development

Commercial operations

Conservation and biodiversity programmes

Communications and support

Administration and management of Trust matters

Ko wai mā? James Doherty (Chair)

Tane Rua (Trustee)

Korotau Tamiana (Trustee)

Anthony Te Kurapa (Trustee)

Hekenoa Te Kurapa (Trustee)

Brenda Tahi (Executive Trustee)

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CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION

Nga mihi o te wã kia koutou nga rangatira o nga whenua o te Tuawhenua.

Nga mihi hoki ki o tãtau kuia, koroua kua riro ki te pō, kua wehe atu i te kitenga kanohi, haere, haere, haere atu ra koutou.

Since our last Annual General Meeting we have achieved a major milestone, by finally terminating all agreements and ties with Forest Holdings Limited. This matter cost the Trust time, cash and efforts. The Trust certainly learnt from all that experience and this has made us more rigorous and vigilant in our day-to-day operations.

The Trust has recovered financially, thanks to the efforts and contribution made by trustees and also to our partnership with Landcare Research (Manaaki Whenua) who has helped us through this difficult period.

The Trust has restructured and we have also reviewed our Trust Order for approval at our 2011 general meeting. Changes are needed in order to keep up with changing times that‟s the nature of the world we live in. The Trust appointed Brenda Tahi , one of our trustees, into the executive role for the Trust in the interim.

An important achievement from this past period is a Sustainable Forest Management Plan. This is a very important document in terms of the forest we manage, as it records in fine detail the make up of the Tuawhenua forests. The Trust is working to assess the opportunities for voluntary carbon credits, whilst at the same time advancing our objectives for natural indigenous forestry.

Your Trust continues to focus in retaining your whenua, managing and improving your forest and where possible creating employment for the local people of Ruatahuna. In this report, we outline achievements and issues for the last 3 years, and set out goals and plans into the future. Our Trust has withstood the storms of the past and we look to a better and brighter future. There is a vacancy within the Trust, and we seek now a Trustee that can contribute effectively and be part of the work in front of us.

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We wish to thank our supporters and partners over these years, especially Landcare Research, Te Puni Kokiri, MAF and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Nga mihi hoki ki nga hapu o Ruatahuna, te hau kainga, e tautoko nei i nga mahi a te Tuawhenua.

Tena koutou katoa.

James (Tahae) Edward Doherty Tiamana (Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust)

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TUHOE TUAWHENUA TRUST

TRUST REPORT 2008-2011

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INTRODUCTION

Background

The Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust was formed in 1987, after a long legal battle by Hikawera Te Kurapa and others of Ruatāhuna to quash the amalgamated title and to return the lands of the Tuawhenua to their original hapu title. Most of the bush blocks of the lands about Ruatāhuna (a schedule of blocks is provided in Appendix I) are under the Tūhoe Tuawhenua Trust, covering about 9000 hectares in area.

It has been a long road for the Trust since its establishment. There were no trust funds for the Trust to administer, and the lands are, in general, native bush blocks, many of them logged in the 1950s and 1960s. Opportunities for development are limited, due to the nature of the land and regulations that constrain development in this region.

In 2008, the Trust completed a strategic plan that set the kaupapa of the trust as the responsibility of retaining ownership and providing the overall kaitiaki responsibility of the land vested in the trust. The overarching goals for the trust were set as:

Be the centre of knowledge for the management of Urewera lands and forests Ensure the protection and restoration of the Tuawhenua bushlands

Pursue economic development for the benefit of current and future generations in a sustainable manner and without unduly compromising our conservation principles. In this document, we now report on what we have achieved in the years 2008-2011.

Issues & Challenges

The Trust has faced a number of issues or challenges during the reporting period that we have sought to address as we have moved forward on our strategic goals. These key issues include:

Ruatahuna is a community disadvantaged by a range of factors that are largely economic and geographic in nature. Since the closure of the mill in the early 1970s, Ruatahuna has had no ongoing local industry to sustain the economy and welfare of our people. Consequently, many of us in the marua are dependent on government welfare or intermittent employment and survive on very low incomes. From time to time we have sought to improve our lot with, for example, enterprises in tourism and horticulture established in the 1970s and 1980s, and in latter years, infrastructural works in water and roading being taken up by local contractors. Although admirable, these pockets of enterprise prove difficult to sustain and the creation of real ongoing jobs remains a challenge for our marua.

The lands of the Tuawhenua Trust are difficult lands to administer. Very little of the land is suitable for clearing and farming, and the rest is clad with native bush, which resource can only be utilised under severe limitations. The opportunities for economic development are, on the face of it, marginal.

Whilst some owners of the land want to see income or job opportunities come from their lands, others object to any development that interferes with the natural

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beauty or state of te wao nui. Thus the development pathway for the Tuawhenua Trust is constrained by a number of factors, and any initiatives have to maintain a delicate balance between the Trust‟s twin objectives of protection/conservation and sustainable development.

The Trust has no cash asset base which constrains our ability to work on the development of opportunities that do exist. The Trust has found it hard to sustain an office and organisation to support and advance the objects of the Trust due to the costs of operation and the nature of the skills and systems required.

Conclusion

In summary, the Ruatahuna people and the beneficial owners hold high expectations of the Tuawhenua Trust and the Trust understands it has a major responsibility to take care of and sensibly utilise the lands of the Tuawhenua. There are no easy pathways by which the Trust can capitalise opportunities off the trust‟s assets. Developments need to delicately balance the twin aims of protection and sustainable development of the lands. Over the last three years the Trust has looked forward, acted and is now moving past issues that have hindered its progress in the past. Through a number of changes to what we aim for and how we operate, we have repositioned the Trust to better deal with current and future challenges.

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TRUST ACHIEVEMENTS: 2008-11

Forestry Proposal and Licence (Forest Holdings Ltd)

By 2008, the Trust was still in negotiations with Rod Scott of Forest Holdings Ltd regarding a forestry proposal and licence for operation on the trust lands. Key areas of difference had emerged in these negotiations:

The Trust insisted that, as the owners required, only dead and down podocarp be taken, whereas Mr Scott sought a forestry licence that allowed the logging of high volumes of standing live trees

The Trust sought a period of forestry operation to be limited to 7 years, whereas Mr Scott sought up to 50 years.

As it turned out, the Trust would not agree to Scott‟s position on these matters and consequently he made a claim against us for costs he incurred in preparation for the forestry operation and licencing. We settled that claim in August 2009, and subsequently we have been able to move on this area without the difficulties of working with a forestry company such as Forest Holdings Ltd.

Hui Taumata o Ruatahuna

The TTT worked with Hinepukourangi Trust to arrange a Hui Taumata for Ruatahuna in November 2008, that brought all the organisations and hapu of Ruatahuna together to:

define and discuss a shared vision for the future of Ruatahuna

clarify roles and activities of organisations working towards that future

identify gaps in roles and activities that are critical to the achievement of that future

identify strategies that will get us to that future as soon as possible

Sustainable

Environment

Facilities

Tūhoetanga Self

Sufficiency

Wellbeing

Economic

Growth

Mana Motuhake

o Tuhoe

Ruatāhuna in 30

years or even 5!!

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The Hui Taumata identified priority areas for the future of Ruatahuna as in the diagram above. As it turned out, a number of these priority areas aligned strongly with the objects of the TTT. The TTT prepared a report on the Hui Taumata to record all the thinking generated in the hui and then we spearheaded an application (in collaboration with Hinepukohurangi Trust) for funding a programme of development, to which we now turn.

Ruatahuna Kakahu Mauku Development Programme

Thanks goes to Te Puni Kokiri for funding the work done in this programme. The work was initiated in 2009 and ran till the end of 2010. The programme consisted of projects focused on alternative energy, permaculture, beekeeping and honey production, possum industry, business development issues and a youth development strategy.

Alternative Energies

Delegates were selected from each marae to learn about mini-hydro systems, testing for potential for a mini-hydro system and energy efficiency. Thus each marae is now positioned with the knowledge and understanding in this field as the initiatives in hydro power generation are developed in Ruatahuna. Hapu also learnt about the mini-hydro potential of their streams though assessments made at their nearby streams. For Papueru, a full feasibility study was completed by Eco-Innovations Ltd.

Permaculture

The Trust ran a nursery at Te Wharekura o Huiarau for supplying seedlings for local gardens. Kay Baxter, of Koanga Gardens fame, and her husband, who are permaculture specialist advised on establishing orchards and gardens in our marua.

Our nursery at Te Wharekura o Huiarau

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Beekeeping and Honey Production

Expert assessments of opportunities were made, and a feasibility study completed. The key findings of the study were that although manuka production is not a real option in Ruatahuna, the other bush honeys have some potential and it is worthwhile the Trust taking this development to a trial stage.

Possum Industry

Our industry assessment and feasibility study found that there are opportunities for operators and whanau in Ruatahuna to enter the industry commercially in a number of ways, and Trust sees itself in a supportive role for future development in this area.

Business Development in Ruatahuna

Our study found that there are enterprise opportunities in Ruatahuna, but the key barrier to us developing businesses relates to the determination and focus required to be successful in this way. With capital being difficult to get, with the skills needed for business hard to access or acquire, it seems it is just too much to pull together all that‟s needed to get into business successfully, especially when in Ruatahuna there is so much else to do for the whanau, hapu and the marua as a whole.

Youth Development

The young people of Ruatahuna were engaged in developing a strategy, and this was presented to the marua. The recently-formed Youth Group of Ruatahuna gained some impetus through this process and successfully gained some funding support to commit to some of the goals in the strategy.

Ruatahuna Youth Strategic Development Workshop

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Podocarp Research

In 2008 through 2009, we worked with Landcare Research on research that sought to answer the question “Are there enough podocarp seedlings in Tuawhenua forests to replace the adult trees that are there now?”

By and large, we found that there were very few seedlings in the plots we set out for the research and that there is no difference in the number of seedlings in logged versus unlogged forest. The most common podocarp was toromiro, but there were also quite a few rimu seedlings. Mataī, kahika and tōtara were rare. Indeed, about 60% of all plots had NO podocarp seedlings at all. In the Tuawhenua, the numbers of podocarp seedlings are low across all blocks, compared with similar forests elsewhere in the North Island.

Our research also looked at how podocarps respond to different light conditions. We marked permanent plots at each site and tagged every seedling in each plot. These plots will be in place for many years so we can measure them over periods of time in the future. We will measure how much the seedlings grow, and how many die so that we can find out how growth and survival vary with elevation (climate), soils and light.

A further aspect of our research is understanding how much deer impact on podocarp seedling growth and survival around Ruatāhuna. This information will be useful to the Trust when planning the future of our forests. In May 2011, small fences (which we call exclosures) were put up around half of the seedlings in our podocarp plots. The seedlings will then be measured each year to see whether the ones inside the fences grow faster than the ones outside that are exposed to being eaten by deer. Our exclosures look something like this one in the photo. They are sited at Te Huia, Mangapae and Tarapounamu.

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One of our rimu seedlings tagged and ready to grow!

Podocarp Restoration

The TTT initiated a project for the restoration of podocarps on our bush lands with the support of project funding from MAF. A number of factors underpin the interest in podocarp restoration on Tuawhenua lands:

The Tuawhenua blocks were selectively logged for podocarps in the 1950s and 1960s.

The podocarps are of particular value to the Tūhoe people – the rimu and kahika as great trees of the ngahere, the toromiro in particular as a key food source for kererū and other birds, and tōtara as a special timber source.

Podocarps are not regenerating in places in this forest where tawa has become dominant, and is not regenerating overall at a rate that would make up for the loss of podocarps due to logging.

We trialled transplanting seedlings from the bush into another site and this has been found to be successful, with high survival rates particularly where seedlings have been planted in shaded or partly shaded sites. A range of sites have been tested – out in the open, under mako, kaponga, mānuka, and also in gaps cleared in stands of tawa. Seedlings only seem to survive in the open if they are carefully handled and don‟t suffer from drying out.

To date, three blocks of the Tuawhenua lands are included in this project – Apitihana T, Hiwiotewera and Tarapounamu. Hapū involved in the work for this project are Ngāti Tawhaki, Ngāti Manunui and Te Urewera. By the end of the project in 2011, we will have planted out and released over 4000 seedlings and saplings.

Raniera Te Kurapa and Raymond Te Kurapa putting tags on podocarp seedlings

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The project has generated a lot of interest in podocarps. Our hunters in the bush are now always on the lookout for plots of seedlings whereas we didn‟t really notice them in the past. Indeed some of us have only recently learnt how to recognise seedling podocarps, as they can look quite different to the adult trees.

We appreciate the funding we have had from MAF for supporting this project as it has been critical in allowing us to learn more about how to put regeneration of podocarps alongside commercial activity like tawa extraction.

Possum Research

TTT assisted Landcare Research in 2010 on researching the kill-rates of possums and rats on trap and bait lines. Ngati Tawhaki Restoration Trust was engaged for the field work which was done at the back of Papueru. The underlying intent of the research was to design a strategy for possum fur harvest that not only provides a sustainable income over the long term for trappers, but also leads to benefits for the ngahere. The general idea is that possums are harvested for fur/skins along trap lines, but unharvested strips are left in between (similar to „coupe‟ harvesting used in forestry). Different trap lines are used in each year so that, in any one year, possums in some areas are recovering for future harvest. We were also testing whether a one-off sowing of rodent poison along trap lines can help to control rat populations for little extra cost.

For „coupe harvest‟ of possums to be sustainable, it depends to a large degree on how quickly possum numbers in harvested blocks/strips recover to levels that can be sustainably and economically harvested again. The research found an even spread of possums and rats across the forest study area, but there were so many possums around that two weeks of sustained trapping made little noticeable dent in overall possum numbers.

The humble but troublesome possum

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Landcare Research also kindly gave us a book on possum biology and behaviour which makes for very interesting reading. Bruce Warburton an expert on possum behaviour also gave a great presentation, which was well attended by locals. Thus we have been able to add to the knowledge we are accumulating on the humble but troublesome possum.

In 2011, further research was done for Landcare on the Apitihana block to assess how possums behave on trap and poison lines so that we have information that can assist possum hunters to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in their vocation. Rather than stick to just two weeks as in the research in 2010, trapping carried on until the catch-rate dropped markedly. Trapping took weeks to complete as the weather was wet at times and the river flooded. 600 possums came off the line in total, and there were more still there but the catch rate got to less than 5%, so the traps were pulled out. Local possumers were also interviewed about their approach to possuming and the underlying economics of their decisions. A report on this research is due to come from Landcare by October 2011.

Natural Indigenous Forestry

We have been investigating natural indigenous forestry – how can we use our timber resources to create work in Ruatahuna and provide some return for owners whilst at the same time protect and restore the special nature of our forests.

Lessons from the Past

Whilst we are keen to generate some industry in Ruatahuna we are also keenly aware of the history. During the forestry of the last century, logs were sold for just a royalty, and were paid out to owners at the time leaving little or no legacy for current and future generations. Although Ruatahuna people benefitted from jobs created in the logging and milling industries, these jobs were, in relative terms, short-lived. Most of those employed had secure jobs for at most only ten years.

The people of Ruatahuna saw forestry as part of a broader development strategy. The forest would be cleared to bring land into pasture, just like everyone else had done in high country across the nation. But not to be so in Ruatahuna, where forestry was restricted for soil conservation and scenic reasons. The land could not be cleared but logging of most of the podocarps was allowed, leaving the ngahere as simply cutover.

Different approaches to a forestry operation have been tried since the milling days. In the 1980s the Steering Committee for these lands tried out the recovery of dead and down rimu but this never came to fruition as an ongoing operation. The native timber option was revisited about 10 years ago by the TTT with an assessment of the harvestable timber on a few of our land blocks. The trust, under direction by the owners, was focused on „dead and down‟ only for a limited period but the logging company they courted at the time as a partner wanted a forestry license to include live trees over a period of up to 50 years! As we have reported, the relationship turned sour and once bitten we are now twice shy.

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Thus we find it hard to trust operators in the timber industry as partners, but we need some of their skills and market knowledge. We are still exploring options on the best approach but we are leaning towards an approach that is about starting small and doing most if not all of the operation ourselves. We believe this approach is not only consistent with the Tuhoe principle of mana motuhake, but it also allows us to ensure it is done in a way that ensures the forest is restored and protected for future generations. Further, by building and controlling our own forestry operation we believe we will also be able to realise more value and economic opportunity for our trust and our beneficial owners.

The Quest Begins

We believe we need to have a good understanding of how our ngahere lives and changes before we even think of intervening again in our forest ecosystem. We have worked with Landcare Research to research podocarp regeneration in our forests and found that regeneration was not occurring at an adequate rate for sustaining or restoring our forest in either logged or unlogged areas. A key factor impacting on regeneration appears to be the tawa that forms the under-storey for most of our podocarp forest. Essentially nothing much grows under tawa but tawa.

As we see it then, our forest will never be the same again if we leave it as it is - tawa is becoming more dominant and the podocarps will never reign again as our great trees. We proceeded then with our podocarp restoration project which is covered elsewhere in this report. The 3-year project was designed to test a number of matters including how and where best to grow seedling podocarps in our forest and to enhance seedling and sapling growth through canopy manipulation.

Preparing Sawlogs The bandsawmill at work…

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As part of the canopy manipulation, we have also been investigating the feasibility of tawa harvest and marketing, thereby dovetailing our economic development intent with that for forest restoration. We completed a milling trial of tawa in March, and intend to conduct further trials, including assisting Ngati Manunui to extract tawa for flooring their dinning hall at Te Umuroa Marae. Podocarp seedlings have been removed from tracks required for the log extraction, and coupes formed from the tawa harvest have been planted out with podocarp seedlings.

This programme has been most useful as it has given us the time and resources to test our ideas and to gain further understanding through our practical work and through consulting many experts that have helped us along the way. Our conclusions from this project are clear:

We can assist Podocarp regeneration in our bush by planting out seedlings and manipulating the canopy

Certain sites and methods for podocarp seedling transplanting and release will give better results

Tawa harvest and marketing is a viable proposition even on a fairly small scale

Holistic Model for Forest Development

The podocarp programme has been part of a journey for us as a trust. Some years ago, our Chair, James Doherty, with support from Landcare Research, visited the Black Forest of Germany, where he observed age-old methods of „ecological siviculture‟, which work to maintain the forest in a near-natural state. Our research on changes for our ngahere such as in podocarps and kereru have signalled the need for us to do something for our special species. We need a model for dealing with our forest that is not just about management but about development – taking it to be more than what it is today. We also need a model that dovetails our goals for biodiversity and restoration with economic opportunity for our people. Further, we go nowhere without the knowledge and guidance of our ancestors.

Thus, we have now been inspired to develop a holistic and natural approach to the utilisation and restoration of our ngahere, which is based on our Tuhoetanga. The principles for this model that have emerged for us are:

Holistic integrated approach: It‟s not just about logging, it‟s about supporting and working with the whole of the forest ecosystem to ensure it‟s around for the next generations.

Matauranga (knowledge and understanding): our old people worked with the forest in ways which respected and understood the mauri, its very essence, of all that resides there. This knowledge must form the foundation of our forest

development approach. Further we believe we should only consider forestry and forest restoration when we understand our ngahere and how it lives, how it works as an ecosystem and how it is changing. Thus, strategy development

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and implementation for the Trust must be based on our research and knowledge about our ngahere

Biodiversity matters: Some species of flora and fauna have a traditional cultural significance for our people and need to be restored or cared for. Some are critical for their role in the ecosystem such as birds in dispersal of seeds. Some are potentially critical for sustaining our people in economic, health or recreational ways.

Natural forestry: any forestry activity to involve maintaining the natural composition and structure of our forest.

Development not just management: Intervention is not only acceptable but desirable. If we don‟t do something our forest will change so much that we will lose special species in our forests for future generations

Small scale is not only OK it is desirable: Small scale allows us to manage any forestry operation ourselves. It also allows us and pushes us to realising more value from the harvest. In turn this approach reduces the incentive for us to harvest more than what we need to sustain our operation.

Future generations: We are not here just for the benefit of this generation, we must be also be mindful of the needs of future generations.

Beekeeping & Honey Production

Following on from the Honey Production Feasibility completed under the Ruatahuna Kakahu Development Programme, the Trust took moved forward to successfully engage a well-established business in the industry as a partner to assist and guide us in further development. We also sought an apprentice in the marua to undertake the necessary training, to learn the trade and to lead future developments in this area.

Nick Mitai has taken up the opportunity, and has trained on-the-job in a large beekeeping operation at the end of the autumn in 2011 and is about to return for learning about the spring operation in September. Nick learns a lot on-the-job by being „thrown in the deep end” and working with hundreds of hives doing different things in just short periods of time. As the first recipient of the TTT Scholarship, Nick has also enrolled on the Telford Polytechnic Correspondence Course for Apiary (beekeeping).

We are planning now for a trial of about 50 hives for this season in order to crop different honeys and test them in the market.

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Te nanao miere, Ruatahuna – Ooh how times have changed

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Land Capability Assessment

We have been fortunate to be assisted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council who engaged Norm Ngāpo, a consultant, to complete a land capability study for the whole of the Tuawhenua region (about 12,000 ha) including the Ruatahuna Farm. The assessment involved recording rock type, soils, slope, erosion and vegetation, and mapping them using a system based on Class 1 (high quality land) to Class 8 (severely limited land. This is then used to assess the land‟s potential for sustained production.

It is no surprise that over 80% of the Tuawhenua lands outside of the Farm are Class 7 land which has „moderate to severe limitations for pasture or forestry land use (although it can be farmed in conjunction with better country if carefully managed)‟. Whilst there is some „severely limited‟ Class 8 land there is also some easier Class 6 country and interestingly some pockets of good soils on river flats and terraces.

As Norm pointed out for us, we already know some of these things but the report and mapping puts this knowledge within a sound framework for assessing potential land use options. We have discussed with Norm and Simon Stokes of BOP Regional Council how the old people have long known about the best places to grow their gardens and fruit trees – these places are sure to have the best soils and capability for land uses.

This report and the maps now provide a base of information from which we can now progress our planning for land uses and development across the Tuawhenua. Options under consideration include carbon and natural indigenous forestry, and of course as we have reported before, beekeeping!

Norm Ngāpo, our consultant, reporting in style… nāna tāna mahi!

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Blackberry Eradication & Revegetation

In 2010, we initiated a project for revegetation of a spot at Sharpies which involved spraying and clearing of blackberry in that area. We partnered with the Ruatahuna Farm to also spray blackberry in other selected areas. Our enthusiasm for blackberry eradication, grew and in our own time and with support of our whanau, we continued to spray blackberry along most of the roadside in Ruatahuna.

Since last summer we have gained some support from DOC and the Whakatane District Council to do more spraying to deal with this vicious weed. We have also gained support from the Bay of Plenty to fence and plant the area at Sharpies for revegetation.

Gravel Extraction

From about 1996, Waiotahi Contractors Ltd held a resource consent from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) for the extraction of gravel from the Waihui Stream bed. By 2008, this arrangement had come to an end and the Trust looked to managing the gravel resource directly, rather than allow other parties to gain the consent. Over the last few years, only small amounts of gravel have been removed from the site for local use and for contracts for local roading.

The trust has recently obtained permission from BOPRC for removing small amounts of gravel from Waihui and Heipipi sites. The trust is also preparing to obtain resource consents from BOPRC for these sites so that the resource can be realised on a commercial basis. However, the Trust is keenly aware of the need to ensure that any development in this area is done on a sustainable basis that at the same time, takes good care of our awa habitats for our precious river life.

Blackbererry covers the land at Sharpies, Ruatahuna bridge

Blackberries removed now & the land cleared

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Tuawhenua Claims

After supporting the Tuawhenua claims that were heard by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2004, the Trust has continued to monitor progress with negotiations for settlement with the Crown. We have brought to the attention of the negotiators and Tuhoe iwi entities the specific claims of the Tuawhenua, including the claim to return Hanamahihi and Waikarewhenua to the original owners and under the Tuawhenua region.

We continue to care for the archives and records held from the Tuawhenua claims research and have made the reports and material from the research available for the Ruatahuna people.

Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust Scholarship

In April 2011, The TTT established a scholarship for young people of the Tuawhenua pursuing tertiary study, training and development in areas of interest to the Trust.

The scholarship is part of the strategy of the Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust to see our young people gain skills and knowledge in areas that are critical to the future of the Tuawhenua. Thus preference will be given to candidates whose development can be clearly demonstrated to be integrated with the development strategies and programmes of the Trust for the Tuawhenua. The scholarship will be awarded as opportunities emerge in our development programmes, or as candidates apply or are identified for training and development.

The scholarship is designed to not just be a monetary award. The scholarship may also involve support for successful candidates in gaining placement in relevant study courses, on-the-job training or work experience. It may also involve employment by the Trust in holidays or at the end of the training period.

In general, the monies associated with the award may be used for the payment of study course fees and/or other expenses associated with study courses or on-the-job training. The Trust will consider the needs of each candidate according to the nature of the development being undertaken. In general, the scholarship is to be awarded annually for the amount of $1500, but consideration will be given to further awards depending on interest, the Trust‟s priorities and its financial situation.

Global Contribution

In May 2010 Tahae Doherty our Chair and Phil Lyver (from Landcare Research) to present on Tuhoe strategies for the conservation of kereru at a conference for the International Society of Ethnobiology held in Tofino near Vancouver, British Columbia.

The overarching theme of the 12th International Congress of Ethnobiology was Hishuk-ish tsa’walk, which is a Nuu-chah-nulth phrase that embodies the concept of “everything is one”, the understanding that everything is connected and nothing is isolated from other aspects of life surrounding it and within it.

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Interesting snippets from the conference included talking with a local elder on their different cultures and beliefs with regards to nature and culture; the presentation by Aboriginal ladies on bush foods (tucker) was hugely informative and it outlined a system of environmental management based on kinship; a South African presentation about the ruru (owl) and its role as the bearer of bad omen if observed out of its usual night-time context.

Tahae and Phil‟s presentation was titled “Flavour or forethought: Tuhoe traditional

management strategies for the conservation of kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

novaeseelandiae) in New Zealand.” The goal was to outline traditional Tuhoe lore for conserving kereru and how changes in local climate patterns and delays in the fruiting of toromiro could potentially influence the sustainability of the harvest. Tahae spoke about the importance of kereru to Tuhoe and their customary lore, while Phil covered changes in kereru abundance and modelling the effects of harvesting kereru later in the year if toromiro fruiting became increasingly delayed with climate change. The guys felt their presentation was well received as it created a lot of discussion afterward.

One of the lessons that Tahae felt emerged from the conference was that most indigenous people round the world share very similar traditions and customs and perspectives around wildlife and natural resources.

Tahae was also part of a delegation of iwi representatives and Landcare Research to visit Australia Northern Territory to look at the return of national parks to the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory. They covered the parks from Alice Springs to Darwin. The Tuhoe representatives presented an overview of our Tuhoe Claim for our land (Urewera National Park) and the difficulties we were having with our government; the Australian people were unable to offer any suggestions as our understanding of returning land to tangata whenua was oceans apart.

Tahae Doherty – with friends at the global conference at Tofino, British Columbia

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At Alice Springs the delegation was off on a hunt with the locals. It was a brand new way of hunting: the locals, made up of young men and elderly women, walked along the road setting fire to the grass and tussock along a 50–60 m front and as the fire moved forward the locals followed along behind looking for goanna lizard burrows.

The group also met the Jawoyn people in the Katherine area, who appeared to be more advanced in business management and welfare of its people. They owned and operated several businesses in town, had their own office apartment that they shared, and had a well-prepared strategic plan.

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TRUST ORGANISATION

Trust Governance

Changes in Trustees since 2008 have involved Te Toka Temara stepping down as trustee and Hinerangi Biddle and Katiana Tamiana not taking up their nomination as new trustees. Instead the Trust has operated with 6 trustees, with Korotau Tamiana returning as an active trustee in 2010.

In the past, Trustees in general met on a monthly basis. Currently trustees meet about 6 weekly with the Chair meeting with the Executive Trustee on an alternate 6 weekly cycle.

The Trust has had accounts prepared annually with an audit being conducted for the financial statements for up to 31 March 2011.

Trust Executive Office

The Trust acknowledges the special contribution made Mataamua Doherty in his time as Executive Officer until 2009, when Doris Rurehe took up the role. Under Doris real progress was made by the Trust in key areas, especially in our research and relationship with Landcare Research and in projects such as Ruatahuna Kakahu Mauku Development. Doris also set a foundation for the trust engaging the hapu of Ruatahuna in Trust developments.

By April 2010, Brenda Tahi was appointed as Executive Trustee to put special focus into establishing systems for trust operation, communications and piloting and establishing commercial ventures. Recently we have appointed Kerewai Morunga as the Executive Assistant for the Trust.

Beneficiaries

Project Managers (as required)

Project Staff (as required)

Trustees

Executive Trustee Executive Assistant

Beneficial Owners

Beneficial Owners

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APPENDICES

Appendix I: List of Blocks in TTT

Appendix II: Publications about TTT

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Appendix I: List of Blocks in Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust

Apitihana T2 Okete

Apitihana X Paripari

Apitihana Y Parekaeaea T

Hauwai Raketihau

Heipipi Taumaha A1T

Hiwiotewera T Taumaha B4T

Houhi Taumapou

Te Huia Tieke

Kākanui T Tongariro 1

Kīha T Umukahawai A

Te Kōpua Umukahawai B

Kōpuhaea 2 Waituhi

Ohau Wharekākaho

Appendix III: List of Publications about TTT

Newspaper Articles

“Bringing light to seedlings”. Paul Mulrooney. Dominion Post. 8 August 2007.

Popular Articles

Allen RB, Doherty JE 2005. Restoring the Tuhoe forests. Indigena (December): 13–16.

Doherty J, Lyver P 2008. Native foods of the kereru: a Tuhoe perspective. Indigena (May): 4–6.

Lyver PO‟B, Doherty J, Tahi B 2008. Tūhoe Tuawhenua traditional knowledge of kererū in Te Urewera. Indigena (February): 23–25.

Wardle DA, Wiser SK, Allen RB, Doherty J 2007. Ecological impact of single tree removal in native forest. Indigena (November): 7–8.

Contract Reports

Richardson SJ, Carswell FE, Wiser SK, Allen RB, Doherty J 2005. Restoration silviculture. Unpublished Landcare Research

Contract Report LC0405/1 41, prepared for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. 33 p.

Richardson SJ, Carswell FE, Wilmshurst JM, Wiser SK, Allen RB 2007. Summary of science knowledge to assist the Tūhoe Tuawhenua Trust manage the issues concerning Ngahere o Te Tuawhenua. Unpublished report produced for the Tūhoe Tuawhenua Trust.

Articles in Books

Moller H, Lyver PO‟B 2008. Using traditional ecological knowledge for improved sustainability: case studies from four customary wildlife harvests by Māori in New Zealand. Conservation International (In press).

Articles in Scientific Journals

Carswell FE, Doherty J, Allen RB, Brignall-Theyer ME, Richardson SJ, Wiser SK. Eff ects of light and removal of below-ground competition on seedlings from a New Zealand conifer–angiosperm forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research (Submitted).

Carswell FE, Richardson SJ, Doherty J, Allen RB, Wiser SK 2007. Where do conifers regenerate after selective harvest?: A case study from a New Zealand conifer–angiosperm forest. Forest Ecology and Management 253: 138–147.

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Lyver PO‟B, Taputu TM, Kutia ST, Tahi B 2008 Tūhoe Tuawhenua mātauranga of kererū (Hemiphaga novaseelandiae novaseelandiae) in Te Urewera. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 32: 7–17.

Lyver PO‟B, Jones C, Doherty J. Integration of science and Tuhoe Tuawhenua Matauranga for kereru restoration in New Zealand. Ecology and Society (Submitted).

Richardson SJ, Allen RB, Doherty JE 2008. Shifts in leaf N:P ratio during resorption refl ect soil P in temperate rainforest. Functional Ecology (In press).

Wardle DA, Wiser SK, Allen RB, Doherty JE, Bonner KI, Williamson WM 2008. Aboveground and belowground eff ects of single-tree removals in New Zealand rain forest. Ecology 89: 1232–1245.

Newsletters

Te Kaahu o Te Tuawhenua, Issues 1-6

Ruatahuna Newsletters, published bi-monhtly