TE ŌHANGA MAURI #141 - STOPPING THE LEAKS: BUILDING AN ECONOMY THAT FEEDS THE NORTH

Tēnā koutou e te whānau. I am circling back to recreate the Te Ōhanga Mauri series with a fresh focus. As I continue to learn and grow in this mahi, I want to make sure the message is as clear, grounded, and practical as possible. This series is an updated look at how we can design an economy in the North that actually looks after our people and our land.

What is Te Ōhanga Mauri?

In our research, we define Te Ōhanga Mauri as the "Lifeforce Economy." While the current system focuses on making money for the sake of money, Te Ōhanga Mauri focuses on the health and life force of our people and our land. It is about moving from an extractive system to a regenerative one.

Priority #1: Stopping the Leaks

Right now, our economy in the North is like a Leaky Bucket. We grow incredible forests, but we ship about 61% of our trees overseas as raw logs. These trees represent decades of sunlight and soil nutrients, what we call "embodied energy."