Taonga Tuku Iho, Heritage Strategy 2022-2032 provides a clear heritage vision, allowing communities to work in partnership to celebrate and explore Whakatū Nelson’s history and heritage and how that contributes to our collective identity.
Council considered the feedback received and adopted the Taonga Tuku Iho, Heritage Strategy at the meeting on 27 September 2022.
Taonga Tuku Iho Heritage Strategy
Kia mahi tahi ai te waihoe
Working together for future generations
The purpose of Taonga Tuku Iho is to inspire a step change in the way we view and approach our heritage and collective identity. This is framed around the maintenance and protection of taonga tuku iho for diverse ethnic groups who call Whakatū Nelson home, that aims to enhance the cultural wellbeing of our community as a whole.
Taonga Tuku Iho represents a holistic approach to heritage, celebrating Nelson’s woven history. The word “Heritage” is often associated with physical objects, built heritage and static information from the past. This is a narrow definition that has been expanded within Taonga Tuku Iho using a holistic approach located within a te ao Māori framework.
This framework of knowledge has a universal cultural application, encompassing built heritage, the natural environment and metaphysical heritage such as language, culture, customs, stories and the arts.
The name Taonga Tuku Iho translates broadly as caring for and nurturing the treasures handed down from our ancestors. Through dynamic stories with diverse narratives, this strategy emphasises a relationship-based understanding of heritage. The Strategy is guided by five pou kōrero or principles identified through interviews and workshops that guide the outcomes of the strategy.
Kaitiakitanga | Guardianship – acknowledges the importance of a high level of advocacy and responsibility to advance the protection and care of our taonga.
Mana Motuhake | Uniqueness – recognises that every community has a unique heritage, tikanga (culture) and reo (language). We support engagement with our communities and opportunities to celebrate our unique heritage.
Te Taiao | The Natural World – acknowledges our work together to protect and improve our natural and built environment, as well as our culture and traditions associated with ancestral lands, water, wāhi tapu and other taonga.
Whanaungatanga | Community Relationships – recognises that the whole community has a role to play in actively preserving taonga and the importance of community relationships to do this.
Rangatiratanga | Leadership – recognises our collective duty of care to uphold the mana of communities through learning and critiquing the policy and practices relating to taonga tuku iho.
Implementation of the Strategy
Implementation will be overseen by a steering group comprising individuals and organisations with a passion for maintaining and protecting Taonga Tuku Iho. The steering group will agree and review the action plan annually, that is a living document - constantly evolving and informing our practice and mahi.
Delivering for Nelson
The Strategy contributes to the following community outcomes in the Long Term Plan 2021-31:
It also aligns with several other strategies and plans, including:
- Te Tauihu Intergeneration Strategy: Tūpuna Pono, To Be Good Ancestors,
- He Tātai Whetu - Whakatū Nelson Arts & Creativity Strategy,
- Nelson Tasman Regeneration plan,
- Nelson Biodiversity Strategy,
- Other key community partnership documents across other organisations.
Pre-engagement to inform the draft Strategy
Taonga Tuku Iho was a collaborative effort involving many people from the community including iwi members, rangatahi, heritage sector individuals, organisations and agencies who participated in group workshops and interviews.
Although COVID-19 restrictions had an impact on our ability to kōrero in person participation using Zoom was well attended.
The development of the Strategy builds on the initiatives and actions that already exist, aligning them under a common vision. There are opportunities and synergies for organisations to work together to protect and maintain taonga tuku iho.
It is hoped that Taonga Tuku Iho Heritage Strategy 2022-2032 is a document that we can all be proud of and support the implementation of.
Public Information
All submissions (including the names and contact details of submitters) are public information and will be available to the public and media in various reports and formats including on the Nelson City Council website. Personal information will also be used for administration relating to the subject matter of submissions. Submitters have the right to access and correct any personal information included in any reports, information or submissions.
