Maori innovation is a conversation of inspiration and determination.

Over the past year a number of examples have made the newspapers, like Maraeroa C ginseng, or the Miraka milk company that owns the value chain, or Tuaropaki’s sustainable dairy farming.

Perhaps the most important feature of Maori innovation is that it often has direct community benefit. A classic example of this is the technology relationship between East Coast iwi Ngati Porou and 2 Degrees.

The recent announcement of two iwi jointly purchasing the local and international dairy technology firm, Waikato Milking Systems shows Maori are not only owning the farms, but also the farm technology. It’s this type of innovative thinking that is taking the Maori nation forward. Read more →

In 2013, the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, were encouraged to share their vision and ideas about the fundamental rules that govern our country, this was called the Constitution Conversation.

As part of the Constitution Conversation the Panel heard a range of views at over 100 meetings, on its Facebook page and from the 5,259 written submissions received from groups and individuals.

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When Potaua Biasiny-Tule talks in public, people listen. And that’s not just because of a colourful, down-to-earth presentation style that mixes Maori, English, tech-talk and expletives and got Potaua and his wife Nikolasa voted best speakers at the recent  WordCamp New Zealand conference.

Thirty seven-year-old Potaua is also one of the key influencers in the country when it comes to Maori people, language and technology. Born in Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty and raised in Rotorua, he became hooked on spaceys when his local dairy opened an arcade, and his passion for the internet was cemented in 1999 when he saw the benefits it was having on rural Indian communities.

Now he is Managing Director and creative boss of the Māori-run and operated news and ICT company TangataWhenua.com, which recently launched a Maori news app for iPhones.

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