Records from the 1600 as presented by Maungatautari marae whaanau suggests that Maungatautari marae area, was “rich in food resources. Birds, especially kereru, and berries, especially tawa, taraire and hinau, were plentiful in the forests. 

The swampy lowlands and the river provided flax, water fowl and eels.” These recollections from early histories are of importance to note when generating and designing food sovereignty programmes. And while access to foods such as Kererū and the likes are frowned upon at present day due to their conservation status, our work to build mahinga kai programme is an acknowledgement to the extensive history Ngaati Koroki Kahukura has in food production and mahinga kai areas. 

We take the integrity of those times and the whakapapa of that work into our everyday practices and work to restore the goodness of common and collective food production for the benefit of our people as a collective;