The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency is sponsoring a series of Māori Economic Summit 2020 Hui taking place throughout the country during the month of August 2020.

Heretaunga Taiwhenua is hosting one of the hui in Hastings at the newly opened Hawke’s Bay Opera House - ToiToi Centre on Tuesday 18 August 2020. Taiwhenua Chief Executive, Mr. George Reedy says that the key objective of this hui will focus on empowering not only emerging Māori enterprises but those small businesses that were badly affected due to the COVID – 19 Alert Level lockdown.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Chairman, Mr Ngahiwi Tomoana is the Whānau Ora Business Leader for this area and has suggested that the theme for this event be “Ohanga + Tikanga = Oranga” or in other words, “Commerce + Culture = Healthy Communities”.

Mr Tomoana also chairs the Economic Development team for the National Iwi Chairs Forum and in past years he chaired the Māori Economic Development panel for the Strategy to 2040 - He Kai Kei Aku Ringa – The Crown Māori Economic Growth Partnership.

Prior to and during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, the practice of tikanga through manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga catapulted Māori custom to the forefront of looking after whānau/families and our communities. All around the country, without hesitation, Māori and iwi businesses, great and small, dropped all normal activities in support of our communities. Classic networks were revived in order to achieve speed, mobility and agility in reaching whānau and communities that needed medical supplies, equipment, food and so forth. One example of this is when the iwi partnered with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and established the Tihei Mauri Ora Centre – a distribution outlet for resourcing our vulnerable elderly and needy families in our communities, the partnership was one thing, but the existing structure from iwi to Taiwhenua, marae and communities was wonderful to see in action. Central, regional, and local government authorities recognised that Māori organisations were able to respond with greater rapidity and greater reach into communities, more than they could ever achieve. In that regard Māori were moving faster than the government and all of its agencies. In essence this is Commerce + Culture = Healthy Communities.

However, since the COVID-19 Alert Level lockdown was lifted, very quickly, walls and barriers between agencies and likewise between agencies and the communities have tumbled, hence we are in this new yet familiar recovery stage. Unfortunately, Māori have not been called upon to lead community and business revival, economic growth and innovation. In other words, in the charge toward economic recovery, Māori leadership has been ignored. However, we firmly believe that through our Arataki/leadership process, just as with kaitiaki and manaaki, we could also lead an economic and social recovery. We have institutional capacity amongst our land incorporations, our iwi groups, our iwi settlement groups, our Taiwhenua, and our community champions, to provide this leadership in economic recovery, but we are without the tools and instruments to provide this recovery and renaissance.

Culture and Commerce are our twin drivers. In any economic recovery process, our Ohanga and our Tikanga will help to provide Oranga/wellbeing.

Takitimu Te Pa Tuwatawata

Te Waka Takitimu and all its customs, provides strong foundations and walls against devastating economic winds. We can use Takitimu to lean into the wind and provide a new pathway to successful community outcomes.

The hui itself will be held over a 6 hour period from 9-3pm in a format suited to this kaupapa. The first part of the day will be see a number of short presentations from groups and agencies who help businesses. Presenters include funding agencies, government agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Department of Inland Revenue, Banks and Small business brokers. The second half of the day will involve a ‘Dragon Dens’ style setting and presentations from 10 small businesses that will have the opportunity to highlight their business and share what innovative things they are doing to progress their business through the effects of COVID-19. A panel of experts will judge these presentations. The top two innovative businesses will receive a $2,500 cash fund to support their business. The hui will end at 3pm, however there will be an opportunity for agencies to have booths where a speed dating style of networking will take place to allow one on one discussion. It’s geared up to be one of the best economic summits and one not to be missed. All participants will need to register to attend. See poster for more information.’