Protect Aotea was born from decades of frustration with dysfunctional and racist systems which have failed to protect and restore the Mauri (essential energy and life force) of important Māori cultural, historical, spiritual and natural taonga, for example Te Moananui o Toi te Huatahi (The Great Sea of Toi).

The purpose of Protect Aotea was to:

• Hold local and central government responsible for their actions and inactions, by legal process or other means.

• Create repositories of mātauranga Māori, (including pūrākau, kōrero tawhito, waiata, Whakatauki, and mōteatea) and scientific research and data.

• Build resources for use in the Trust’s mahi both financial and human including building relationships with people within Te Moananui o Toi with relevant knowledge, skills, experience and expertise who support the kaupapa.

• Foster a taumata of kuia and kaumātua to advise and give guidance on all aspects of the Trust’s activities.

• Recognize and extend manaaki to all Māori individuals, groups and entities that are involved in legal proceedings or any related activities that are consistent with the Trust’s kaupapa.

• Pursue and be committed to the restoration of tino rangatiratanga under Te Tiriti o Waitangi as primary sovereign and constitutional authority.

• Develop and maintain a repository of the kōrero tawhito of waka landings and movements within the rohe of the tūpuna and the records of tūpuna in this regard, such as Toi te huatahi, Ta Maki, Rakataura, Wairaka and Okahumatamoemoe to name a few.

Protect Aotea has presented their kōrero on marine protection across Aotearoa, including at Tauranga University, Waikato University, through media networks, Pakiri Sand Hearings, Aotea Community, Ngāti Pāoa hui, Te Mautohe, Protect Pukeiahua, Pūtiki, Arohatia te moana and Hikoi mo te moana.

Protect Aotea is building a movement to change how people interact with our oceans. They have brought prominent Māori environmental advocates together to discuss collective action for protecting the oceans. Protect Aotea has created a strong network of iwi to support the mahi in the protection of the moana, especially around the Hauraki Gulf. They have letters of support from Ngāti Pāoa, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hako and Ngāti Rongo. At a Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea AGM they received the mandate to kōrero to the stopping of marine dumping.

Protect Aotea represents a Kaupapa Māori approach to environmental protection, underscored by Mātauranga Māori and informed by meaningful engagement with local iwi.

What next

Protect Aotea continues to focus on the protection of the marine environment of Aotea, Great Barrier Island and the Hauraki Gulf. They have filmed their mahi since the conception of this roopu, and a documentary is near completion. They also manage an active Facebook page with over 1,800 followers https://www.facebook.com/protectaotea/.