Aroora is first and foremost a hauora kaupapa that is guided by tikanga which reminds us of our interconnectedness to all things.

Colonisation in Aotearoa has greatly impacted not only the indigenous people of this land, but also the indigenous fauna and flora that call this place home.

When sharing our mātauranga and re-indigenising a hauora space, we must also think of our relationship and responsibility to our taiao. For if Papatūānuku, Ranginui, and their many children are unwell, so are we.

One of the small things we do within our kaupapa to minimise our impact and educate our rangatahi is provide and promote plant-based kai when we are on wānanga. For many, this is a new and foreign experience.

A lot of the mahi we do falls within the realm of Rongo, an atua who, in the opinion of the writer, is hugely misunderstood. So, it seems not by chance that within our kaupapa we also look towards the kai associated with this atua to sustain us and hopefully, in time, bring back balance to our mistreated whenua.

If you are unaware of the impact of the current colonial diet on our environment a good place to start to broaden your perspective is the recently released and local documentary MILKED which can be found and viewed here.