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National | Rotorua

Business for Culture initiative to build partnerships

The Business for Culture, Culture for Business initiative held a gathering today on Te Takinga Marae near Rotorua between iwi representatives from Te Arawa, Wairarapa and Te Tai Rāwhiti.

Those at the meeting hope to create a network exchange hub between Māori and the wider Pacific.

According to Steven Hutana, today's gathering is an exchange of knowledge to help lift Māori economic gains.

“The more Māori communities, business iwi and hapu that get on the whata hākari with us- we are not looking to be all and end all- we are just really establishing a tāhuhu, a backbone for people to exchange on”.

The late Dense Hansen QMS who was an advocate for Māori and indigenous issues initiated the Business for Culture network.

His son Denny Hansen says, “We are just naturally gifted people and when you bring us together that's when Māori really thrive so I've really enjoyed today's hui.  I've listened to incredible people who have been working hard in their fields for years, decades”.

Hutana adds, “We are not doing anything new we are just taking out custom practices of our whata hākari and extending that through economy development”.

The Māori economy is worth around $42bil which consists of mostly agriculture and tourism.

“We need our people to get on board and network and also to exchange," says Hutana, "Bring your mātauranga, bring your whakamana, rawa-  So- resource knowledge and affluence”.

Hutana says that the Business for Culture initiative is currently working on a partnership with Hawaii.