Enabling Te Mana o Te Wai with Cultural Health Assessment Tools

In 2020, Poipoia embarked on research funded by Our Land and Water National Science Challenge with the primary aim of exploring the application of how to give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai. This endeavour culminated in the development of comprehensive guidelines for Te Mana o Te Wai, alongside illuminating case studies sourced from iwi and hapū perspectives.

Building upon the success of this initiative, in 2022, Poipoia initiated the second phase of the project, with Our Land and Water.

Enabling Te Mana o Te Wai Project: Matauranga for transformative outcomes for freshwater management primarily seeks to integrate iwi and hapū priorities into the National Objectives Framework (NOF) by approaching it through the lens of these tangata whenua communities. Within the context of this research, a critical need has been identified - to analyse Cultural Health Assessment (CHA) tools, methods, and frameworks.

This review is focused on understanding the suitability of each tool in supporting mana whenua to participate in and inform the NOF process in a way that supports their understandings of enabling Te Mana o Te Wai. The NOF process comprises of several sequenced stages. The progression through these stages involves deep cultural engagement, collaborative decision-making, and a holistic view of waterway management.