Te Mauri o Te Wai - the life supporting capacity of water, its significance to Maori and our regional communities is on the agenda of a regional Maori conference in Rotorua this month.
Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Waikato Regional Council will host the biennial Te Oniao
conference for tangata whenua from the two regions. The theme is Te Mauri o Te Wai.
A line-up of expert speakers that organisers hope will impress an expected 180 attendees includes Tamati Kruger (Tuhoe), Professor Linda Te Aho (Ngati Koroki Kahukura, Waikato-Tainui), Rahui Papa (Waikato-Tainui), Lara Burkhardt (Ngati Whatua) and others.
They will showcase the significance of the fresh water space and its importance to Maori including matauranga Maori and kaitiakitanga.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council strategic engagement manager Kataraina O'Brien said it was the third event of its kind for the Bay of Plenty region and had proven successful in the past.
