Te Marae a Tāne Mahuta

The Philosophy: Applying shared knowledge systems

Tāmata Hauhā works closely with landowners to design sustainable forests using both traditional Māori ideology and western practices. Our view is that a forest is the ‘marae‘ (a traditional place for gathering) of Tāne Mahuta (the Māori god and guardian of the forest and birds).

Exotic species, selected and invited by today’s generation of landowners, are considered ‘manuhiri’ (guests) on the marae of Tāne. On that basis, the following relationships and values will be considered when selecting species:

• MANUHIRI SPECIES (exotic plantation) acts as a guest to the marae of Tāne, and are selected for their ecological values and abilities to support the native regeneration of high value ‘taonga species’
• TAONGA SPECIES are native understory species with traditional food, medicinal, fibre, and ecological qualities such as fern, kawakawa, kūmarahou, mānuka, harakeke, tī kōuka
• RANGATIRARĀKAU are larger native tree species such as tōtara, kauri, rimu and kahikatea

Manuhiri species are only present for a limited time, until their function of supporting the above has concluded. Manuhiri species could include eucalypts, cypresses, redwoods, cedars, paulownia, poplars, grand firs, Norfolk pines, and radiata (only when suited).