Awhi Tu Collective was born during a lockdown when a couple of friends expressed a desire to connect with others looking to build a safe, accepting community. That conversation was shared to people with similar concerns and soon that small group had grown to a collection of like-minded souls gathering for monthly pot luck dinners, movie nights and information sharing wānanga.
Soon enough during these gatherings talk turned to the state of our nation and, as a result of those discussions, our group turned their hand to creating the community we wished to live in.
Part of building our community included learning about He wakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Suffice to say that was a learning curve. The information presented was confronting and thought provoking. One of the great things about our Collective is that questions, debate and other opinions that raise more questions and debate are acceptable in our conversations.
Our journey learning about the history and understanding the content of these documents is ongoing – there is a lot to absorb!
We believe that designing and building strong communities is as much about information sharing as it is about the skills and expertise of the people around us. Communication and a willingness to assist where necessary are important aspects of what we do.
Between us, our members have a raft of abilities and experience regarding living a rural life. Most of us have gardens, some better than others. Those who know about herbs and healing share that knowledge. Some of us are great at canning, some of us raise animals. That we can come together to support each other in our endeavors is important to us. That support might be a helping hand, a strengthening hug, few words of encouragement or the swapping of resources.
A few members of our group moved on to proclaim their self-determination and individual sovereignty, just as our tupuna did back in 1835. They have committed to upholding the mana of the Hapu with whom we align and to Awhi Tu Collective.
They are also committed to honoring the founding documents of Nu Tireni – He wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni 1835 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840.
Our name, Awhi Tu Collective, means embracing others to stand – to stand in their own personal sovereignty and to be embraced collectively
If you wish to find out more about us, peruse the pages of this website at your leisure. Check out our Upcoming Events page to participate in one of our activities. To meet some of our extraordinary crew visit our Members Page or Contact Us with your questions.
Nga mihi nui
