The Waikato River is the longest River in New Zealand at 425 km and has a catchment of 14,260 km2. The Waikato River is a tupuna (ancestor) for the Waikato-Tainui tribe, from which we derive our name and our identity. The existence of a special relationship between Waikato-Tainui and the Waikato River has long been recognised publicly, and in the report of the Waitangi Tribunal (Manukau Report, July 1985 – Wai 8), the Tribunal concluded: “It is difficult to over-estimate the importance of the Waikato River to the Tainui tribes. It is a symbol of the tribes’ existence.”
As a result of recent Treaty of Waitangi Settlements in 2010, $230 million was negotiated by Iwi to “clean up” both the Waikato and Waipa Rivers over 30 years. This fund is managed by a post treaty settlement co-management/co-governance entity known as the Waikato River Authority (WRA). This presentation will outline some of the Restoration projects undertaken by Waikato-Tainui and describe how Indigenous knowledge has been incorporated as an integral part of those projects.