Entry received from: Central Hawke's Bay District Council
Category: Te Tohu Waka Hourua - The Buddle Findlay Award for Māori-Council Partnerships
Ngā Ara Tipuna is an outstanding partnership project between Central Hawke's Bay District Council (CHBDC) and Tamatea Hapū, which has strengthened the partnership with mana whenua and uplifted Māori by working in unity.
Ngā Ara Tipuna began as a community-led initiative to describe the history of Pukekaihau, the main pā site in Waipukurau, a public reserve (Hunter Memorial Park) managed by Council. The project expanded the scope to develop a tourism and heritage trail incorporating seven significant pā sites around Waipukurau in Central Hawke's Bay.
The project combined traditional design elements with contemporary materials and processes, digital storytelling and displays at significant sites, celebrating the stories of the people of Tamatea - Central Hawke's Bay. The project has been an important cultural heritage partnership and a positive catalyst, generating tourism growth, employment outcomes and boosting the local economy, including the Māori economy.
While the project has transformed the landscape of Tamatea, it has also transformed the basis of Council's partnership with mana whenua in the rohe.
Through the effects of COVID-19 and more recently Cyclone Gabrielle, the enduring outcomes from this project across the cultural, social, and economic wellbeings, speaks to the long-lasting outstanding results of Ngā Ara Tipuna, which continue to fan the fires of partnership in Tamatea - Central Hawke's Bay.
Thank you to our category sponsor