Tāmati Kruger speaks to Rod Oram about Tūhoe's response to Covid-19 in the Te Urewera mountains, and how the iwi is looking to a much stronger New Zealand society that's aware of its obligations to be a far wiser caretaker of our natural resources   Ngāi Tūhoe is coming through the Covid-19 crisis with a much stronger sense of mana motuhake, says Tāmati Kruger, chair of the iwi who are guardians of the Te Urewera...

Te Urewera will reopen under alert level 2 but there will be strict safety guidelines in place. The guardians of the whenua, Ngāi Tūhoe, closed the huts, campgrounds, boat ramps, walks and freedom camping areas for the duration of level three. Te Urewera Board chair Tāmati Kruger said it would reopen for visitors once the country moves into alert level 2 tomorrow. He said all visitors to Te Urewera, whether it be for walking, camping,...

  "I was lucky enough to spend the months between September and December in Waikaremoana working for Te Uru Taumatua, the Nāi Tūhoe* tribal authority, and seeing first hand how Waikaremoana, the iwi organisation and Te Urewera Board’s kaitiakitanga of the former national park (now its own legal entity) was going up at the lake.   I’ve been back in Auckland for a few months now. I planned to be back in...

Māori leaders are backing calls for the government to lift the ban on hunting during alert level three, but only to whānau who rely on it to feed themselves.   Hunting is currently prohibited under alert level 4 due to the risk it poses if someone hurts themselves and need to call emergency services.   Under normal circumstances going out to the bush is exactly what thousands of hunters in New Zealand would be...

Allowing hunting and other recreational activities in Te Urewera would put small communities at risk, a Tūhoe chairman has said.    Te Urewera Board chair Tāmati Kruger said Tūhoe reviewed its responsibilities as voice of the land, and confirmed that protections currently in place within Te Urewera at Alert Level 4 would remain under Level 3.   That meant all Te Urewera huts, campgrounds, boat ramps, walks...

Lake Waikaremoana will remain closed to the public during Alert Level 3.   Te Urewera Board chairman Tamati Kruger said the huts, campgrounds, boat ramps, walks (including the Waikaremoana Great Walk) and freedom camping areas will remain closed at Alert Levels 3 and 4. Hunting and fishing would also not be permitted in Te Urewera at those alert levels either.   This was to protect the health and safety of potential...