Connecting to whakapapa through our puku
He pitopito kōrero nā Arohanui West
Have you ever wondered what manaakitanga tastes like? How kaitiakitanga sits on your tastebuds? The weight of whakapapa in your puku? Well, I found out when I was privileged to attend the ‘E Kai Māori’ wānanga run by the renowned Chef Joe McLeod, at Ōrākei Marae in Tāmaki Makaurau.
The three-day wānanga began with Matua Joe gathering native rau (leaves), which act as both rongoā (traditional Māori medicine) and enhance the flavour of the kai. Chef McLeod explained that originally, he would take his assortment of leaves with him when he hosted these wānanga across the motu; now he does it on-site. Recognising that our native flora and fauna differ from iwi to iwi, hapū to hapū, and one of the most crucial elements of honouring our kai is learning how to gather and cook the kai that grows in your rohe.
The cohort then used their hauhake (harvest) to weave rourou kai (food baskets) from harakeke (flax). These rourou were filled with kai and adorned with native leaves such as kawakawa, rewarewa, rangiora, mānuka and horopito.
Throughout this process, we were reminded of the ingenuity of our tūpuna (ancestors). From following manu (bird) to understand their diet and know what food to pair the manu with in the cooking process; placing empty hue (gourd) in hot sand to increase its longevity as a storage vessel for liquid and kai; to the fermentation processes of seafood, meats and vegetables to store kai for slower, colder months.
On the third day, I shared a short presentation on behalf of Para Kore. I spoke about the interconnectedness of our food systems and how, by eating from our local foodscapes, we can connect ourselves to our whakapapa.
Every time we eat from our awa, roto, maunga, ngāhere and maara kai, we get a glimpse into the life of our tūpuna. We decolonise our tastebuds from refined sugars and processed kai. We care for these places more deeply because we actively spend time in them. We recognise them as our pātaka kai and acknowledge our dependence on them - if the moana is healthy and abundant with kai, then we are healthy too.
My wero to us all is this: what would life look like if we had to gather, grow, hunt, store and cook kai ourselves? How would our relationship with kai change? If we want to return to these ways of our tūpuna, living in accordance with te taiao, we must involve everyone. From the kaumātua who know the best fishing spots, the kuia who can weave a mean kupenga (net), the young people who are eager to get out for a hunt or a dive, the plant identification experts who know the horopito hot spots, and the ringawera who can take all of that kai and create a hākari for everyone to enjoy. It takes a village.
We completed our wānanga with a feast of kūmara, potatoes, stuffing, salmon, kūtai (mussels), kingfish, pikopiko, chicken, beef, and even possum, all wrapped up in rourou kai and flavoured with our native leaves. He reka rawa atu!
Ka kore e mutu ngā mihi ki a Matua Joe me tana rōpū a E Kai Māori. Kua rangatira mātau i a koutou wānanga.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Arohanui
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Ngā Karere - News
Kua rewa tō tātou Papakupu Para Kore! Our glossary of environmental and climate-related kupu in te reo Māori is officially launched.
Have you ever tried to find a kupu that just didn’t exist? Well, thanks to the brilliant mahi of He Kupenga Hao i te Reo, supported by funding from Te Mātāwai, we have access to kupu we never knew before.
Do you know these kupu?
Toa tokanga = bulk bin store
wehe mōriroriro i te hauhā = carbon sequestration
Pāmu tautaiao = eco farm
Find these kupu and many others here.
Deposit Return Scheme a possibility for Aotearoa
Do you remember returning your milk bottle or glass vessel for money back in the 70s and 80s? Well, thanks to the hard work of the Zero Waste Network and others, we now have the opportunity to bring that back.
“A container deposit return scheme is a practical, cost-effective way to help New Zealanders reduce litter, waste less and recycle more. Schemes are already being used in 57 countries and states to collect drink containers and cover the real cost of recycling. Surveys show 80% of New Zealanders want a container deposit return scheme here. “
Para Kore recognises that recycling is a false solution to our waste crisis, however, we welcome and support a Container Deposit Return Scheme as the infrastructure and systems can create a pathway to reuse, away from linear systems of extraction and production towards a circular system of repurposing and reusing the materials we already have available.
Find out more about a DRS and how you can tautoko it here.
Te marama whakamihi i te kai - Food appreciation month is upon us!
This Food Appreciation Month in May, join a growing movement of New Zealanders who are celebrating their kai and doing their bit to prevent food waste at home, with the support of Every Bite.
Pledge your support to the kaupapa here and gain access to tips, tools and resources to help you in your food waste reduction journey.
Karawhiua!
Food for hope and wellbeing
We face a biodiversity crisis and a climate meltdown. Our food systems are broken, our soils are depleted and our seeds are owned by global corporations. The mainstream response to these crises drowns out the Indigenous perspectives and solutions that offer pathways to ecological, cultural and socio-economic sustainability as well as greater connection to food in our everyday lives.
This book salutes Indigenous food heroes from across Aotearoa and Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa whose inspiring stories show how change begins locally and on a small scale.
Written by verified Hua Parakore farmers, activists, Indigenous researchers and Indigenous food sovereignty leaders Jessica Hutchings and Jo Smith, Pātaka Kai encourages a return to Indigenous values and practices to achieve kai sovereignty and wellbeing for Mother Earth and her people.
To look inside, click here.
The Government is consulting on proposals to amend the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA) and the Litter Act 1979.
They are seeking feedback on the following proposals for amending waste legislation:
creating a framework for extended producer responsibility
changes to how the waste levy is allocated to territorial authorities, and what they can spend the money on
clarifying roles and responsibilities for central government, local government and the waste sector
improving tools for compliance, monitoring, and enforcement
enabling efficient and effective controls for littering and other types of mismanaged waste.
At Para Kore, we are working on our submission, and we encourage you to do the same. We will share our draft with you when it is ready.
Karawhiua! Have your say here.
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Ngā wānanga e haere ake nei - Upcoming events
Join Arohanui for our online He Mana Tō te Kai Wānanga
He Mana Tō te Kai is all about remembering our kai is not a commodity, a means to make a profit. Kai is a taonga. Kai is rongoā (medicine). Kai has whakapapa and connects us to our whānau, traditions and surroundings.
On this two-week programme, you will journey through whakapapa, māramatanga, kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga. We will take you through the systems of kai, learn useful tips, save more kai and money, reduce kai waste and make a plan to raise the inherent mana of kai.
Find out more about our wānanga and register here: https://parakore.maori.nz/events/
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Please continue to follow us on social media, subscribe to our mailing list, and if you’d like to reach in, connect with us via our website.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Arohanui West me te whānau whanui o Para Kore