Tauranga Moana is hosting the Kohinga Koha | Māori Economic Summit at Huria Marae, bringing together iwi, pakihi Māori, investors, and economic leaders from across Aotearoa and the globe to turn ideas and capital into actionable opportunities.
Grounded in the enduring relationship between Tauranga Moana, Te Moana a Toi, and the Kiingitanga, the summit builds on a rich historical legacy of indigenous enterprise, trade, and innovation while advancing intergenerational prosperity.
Ngāti Ranginui Chairperson Charlie Rahiri noted that economic strength is about more than monetary wealth, highlighting that as kaitiaki, the focus must be on balancing prosperity with the protection of the taiao while bringing assets, enterprise, mātauranga, and relationships together.
“For our people, economic strength has always been about more than monetary wealth. As kaitiaki, we must find the balance between economic prosperity and protection of our taiao.
“It is about creating opportunities while leaving the generations that follow us with more choices and resources than those before them. Kohinga Koha asks what more we can build when we bring our assets, enterprise, mātauranga and relationships together.”
Ngāti Pūkenga Chairperson Kylie Smallman said creating the conditions for Māori enterprise to scale must be matched by a greater focus on Māori investment and ownership.
“We need businesses that can scale, compete and export, and we need to position Māori enterprise to attract investment, forge strong partnerships and reach global markets,” Kylie said.
“Increasingly, we also need to be the investors and owners ourselves – using our assets and capital strategically, embedding our aspirations into the long-term plans that shape our rohe, and owning more of the assets that generate wealth,” she said.
Reporting from Huria Marae, Maioha Panapa emphasized that the hui is focused squarely on moving economic discussions beyond talk and into action to secure the oranga of future generations.