Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
This week’s pānui takes you from the world stage of Te Aratini at Osaka Expo 2025, where Māori are forging indigenous trade pathways, to the awa and whenua of Uawa, where Mere Tamanui is leading whānau-driven freshwater restoration.
Both remind us that our strength lies in connection, to each other, to our environment, and to the world.
Keep reading to explore these inspiring stories!
MEA at Te Aratini - World Indigenous Peoples Week, Osaka Expo 2025
This August, our very own Kaye-Maree Dunn joined an 80-strong delegation of iwi representatives and whānau from across Aotearoa at the World Indigenous Peoples Week at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
Under the banner of Te Aratini – “the multitude of pathways”, the delegation built connections, explored indigenous-to-indigenous trade opportunities, and showcased the strength, innovation, and values of Māori on a global stage.
Hosted in the Australian Pavilion under the theme Respecting the Past to Design the Future, the programme brought together voices from Aotearoa, Australia, Canada, and beyond to discuss indigenous trade, innovation, renewable energy, AI, food production, fishing, and the future of our economies and taiao.
From powerful multi-iwi karanga and cultural performances led by Kahurangi Performing Arts, to deep kōrero on IPETCA (the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement) and new pathways for indigenous-to-indigenous commerce, Te Aratini reminded the world:
“We are here, we wish to trade (if our values align), and our X-factor is our commitment to protecting our taiao and assets for future generations.”
Kaye-Maree says the experience was not only about forging trade deals, it was about strengthening relationships, learning from other indigenous innovators, and carrying forward the spirit of our tūpuna who traded globally long before us.
Collaboration is key. As Kaye-Maree put it, “It’s time for each of us to build our whānau and our collective tribal wealth, and take our awesomeness across the globe.”
Keep an eye on Te Aratini and Waha Creative socials for highlights from this inspiring kaupapa, or read the full press release here: Kahungunu Media Release – Osaka Haerenga.
📸 Kahurangi Dance
Mere Tamanui: Restoring Our Connection with Wai and Whenua
Mere Tamanui (Taniwha Connections / Uawa Factory Road Native Nursery) is a force of nature. Grounded in her Ringatū upbringing and driven by a deep love for taiao, Mere is helping whānau reconnect with their ancestral waterways and protect taonga species like tuna.
Her journey began when her whānau faced the threat of fracking on their whenua, a powerful wake-up call that pushed her into environmental leadership. With a degree in Te Taiao and a passion for mātauranga Māori, Mere now blends Indigenous knowledge and science to lead restoration projects that are practical, healing, and whānau-led.
“To heal our whānau is to heal our whenua, and water brings a lot of that for us.”
She champions simple but effective solutions: installing cleaning stations at jetties, training whānau to write funding proposals, and weaving tikanga into every part of the process. For Mere, it's not just about saving our waterways. It’s about restoring mauri, memory, and mana.
Her key message?
Let whānau lead.Support them with the tools, funding, and space to protect what they already know how to care for.
Photo © Tairāwhiti Ngutukākā - East Coast Kakabeak
Explore the Kaupapa
Learn more about Mere Tamanui’s leadership and the kaupapa reconnecting whānau with wai and whenua, protecting taonga species, and restoring mauri.
Visit the MEA website or download the report from the DOC website here:
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