Māwhera Incorporation | Guardians of Tai Poutini Ancestral Lands
About Our Lands
Our Mission
Kia whanakehia rangatira ai ko te whenua tūpuna, ko ngā maunga, ko ngā awa, hei oranga a hāpori whakakoakoa kaiwhaipanga heke iho ki o rātou uri whakaheke.
To prudently manage our ancestral lands, mountains and rivers for the economic and social benefit and enjoyment of our shareholders and their descendants.
Our Values
RANGATIRATANGA – LEADERSHIP:
We will lead by example
TŪPONOTANGA – INTEGRITY:
We will take personal responsibility for our actions and will be open, honest and ethical in our behaviour
KAITAIKITANGA TAIAO – ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY:
We will nurture our natural resources and people
NGAIOTANGA – PROFESSIONALISM:
We will ensure good governance management, policy and process
PUKUMAHITANGA – DILIGENCE:
We will be conscientious and strive to perform to do best in all critical areas
Our History
The story of Māwhera Incorporation begins long before its formal establishment in 1976. Kāi Tahu, by conquest and mana, held the manawhenua of Tai Poutini for generations. Following the signing of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, the Crown purchased approximately 3.1 million hectares of land but set aside 4,139 hectares across 54 reserves for the original Kāi Tahu owners. On 17 May 1976, the Governor General issued the Mawhera Incorporation Order 1976 — formally establishing the Incorporation as guardian of these lands.