Ngati Aoira Iwi: Unlocking Economic Potential Through Community Focus - Research Paper

Introduction

The strategic position at the Aoira Bay, most of their activities revolve around the lake and rivers flowing from it which includes mostly farming and fishing activities.

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From this, the need for an economic development arises whereby the Ngati Aoira Iwi require a focused effort on this area. Recognizing the strengths and abilities among our Maori community is the beginning of our endeavor towards a successful campaign with regards to economic development. Members of our Iwi have experience in farming practices which we indulge in to produce crops and pastures (Bremner, & Wikitera, 2016).

Intensive Farming

Our first objective we are hoping to achieve is intensive farming, which aims at obtaining maximum products from the lands owned by the Iwi, hapu, and individual members. Agricultural produce ranging from pasture production and extending to crop production is an activity that the people of the Ngati Aoira understand from the long term experience the members have had over the recent years while practicing farming activity in addition to the traditional knowledge. Which acts as an added advantage together with modern technology and advice from crucial professionals, can effectively increase farm production while minimizing the environmental effect caused making the farming of pastures become a considerable viable option for development in this particular field (Ekins et al., 2016)

From the economic perspective, the production of meat and dairy products can also be enhanced intensively using technology to enable a maximum percentage of production from the animals. This product can be used to generate income to the community once sold hence adding to the economic value of our people. Once this achievement has succeeded, farming can generally be a sustainable means and an essential key aspect in the economic development of Ngati Aoira and Iwi in general (Paton, Johnston, Mamula-Seadon, & Kenney, 2014).

Tourism

The second aim that we hope to achieve is an investment in tourism, a field which involves a lot of funds required in the setting up of cultural museums that entail collections of our cultural artifacts and history. By setting up these museums, both local and international tourists can visit and get to learn and observe our culture. Our rich culture is the primary source of tourist attraction and the selling point which would return our used set up funds making it a viable endeavor to indulge.

Manaakitanga (hospitality) is the critical value which is necessary for ensuring the success we aim for in tourism. Building strong and enduring relationships between our tourism businesses, the wider industry, government, runanga, and other Iwi is important us, as it drives to be an investment partner of choice in the tourism sector. CITATION Bre16 \l 2057 (Bremner, 2016)Economic Indulgence

Our third objective in line with the development of our Iwi Ngati Aoira economy is indulgence in active fishing. Considering the proximity of the sea and river, the community can easily access the water bodies making fishing more comfortable. Seafood is a typical meal which is harvested from the sea and has a ready market to which it is available too if only it were collected and delivered. Engaging in active fishing would enable us to provide the market with seafood and as a result, generate income for the community along with creating formal job opportunities to its members, generally developing our economy.

Ngai Tahu is an excellent example of a successful Iwi which engages in active fishing and has become an essential part of their economy, sustaining its whole communities. (Whitford, & Ruhanen, 2014). It proves that fishing is a real viable option which can be used to develop our economy. Examples of seafood which are harvested include; Lobster, Wet fish, Abalone, Oyster, and Mussel, to mention a few. With additional efforts, dedication and unity among our Iwi, we can progress in fishing and start our manufacturing, processing and transporting of seafood's independent which would increase our economy significantly while enabling us to be in complete control of the whole process.

For the objectives to be quickly and wholly achieved, our people in the community have to be self-motivated and determined towards achieving the same.

For our first objective, which is engaging in modern intensive farming, the members would unite together, forming a stronger and better working atmosphere that would promote self-determination where each needs to play his role in ensuring the overall success of the project (Higgins-Desbiolles, Trevorrow, & Sparrow, 2014). If one member fails, then the overall outcome deteriorates affecting every member. As a result, each member is self-determined to do his best so as not to become a source failure to the rest of the community.

Considering our second aim, which is tourism, the effort of ensuring that our rich culture is maintained is key to its success. This culture is the source of tourism and thus makes us focus on providing that our culture is conserved. Influence of our culture towards our people's behavior is, and every individual is responsible for ensuring that they follow it accordingly making them determined to abide by it, ensuring it is conserved, consequently attracting tourist who visits and get to learn and observe it. In effect to that, tourism gets to grow and acts as a source of income to the community. Self-determination to continuously engage and preserve our culture promotes our aim making it effortlessly easy to turn it into a success promoting the development of the economy.

Economic Development

The third objective is to engage in active farming as a means of economic development. It requires self-determination to ensure that each effort and responsibility reflect positively to the overall outcome. Individual members are to be assigned respective roles according to their strengths, enabling them to play their part in the fishing practice accordingly and without any form of significant challenge. Besides, when the members get to be rewarded or paid, be it with goods or money, they are motivated for their effort and get to be self-determined to perfume their level best translating positively to the overall fishing activity and collection of, in general, enhancing our economic development.

Self-determination acts as a motivation to our members, and this response positively in regards to working towards achieving our economic objective. It enables us to meet them in a short amount of time compared to when there is a lack of self-determination among our hapu members and the Iwi in general.

Challenges occur in any endeavor set out, and ours is no different. Several barriers may delay or hinder our set objectives. In the aim of engaging in intensive and technological farming, key professionals are involved, and they interact with our people. Which does not always translate to a successful relationship or interaction between the two parties, and in most cases, the link is not useful. Differences in language, culture, and understanding are some of the driving force towards a deteriorating relation affecting the set objective and may become the source of delay towards achieving our aim or in a worst-case scenario result in failure.

Another challenge that may occur is the unwillingness of our Ngai Aoira to adapt to modern technology in preference to our traditional cultural farming practice affecting the overall set objective.

In line with our second objective, which is tourism, a considerable amount of funds are required to establish or set up cultural museums together with their maintenance. These funds may not be readily available to our community, and this affects the whole project. Another challenge may occur when the set funds are available but get mismanaged and end up achieving a small percentage of our objective, making it incomplete in the end. Therefore to ensure that our set aims succeed fully completed, funds have to be readily available and managed by a responsible and accountable body.

For our third objective, which is active fishing involving seafood, a significant challenge that we would encounter would be obtaining the required necessary tools needed for the activity. Ship vessels are required to venture deep into the sea (Spencer, 2010). These vessels cost a lot of money, and this may prove to be another challenge. Apart from the ship, to catch the fish and other sea animals, fishing nets are needed together with a variety of machines used in the processing and storage of the harvested sea animals. All these translate to money, which may prove a challenge to obtain.

Despite all these challenges, our desire to progress outweighs the fear of failure resulting in strategic planning on how to achieve our set objectives. For our first aim, professionals from renowned learning institution related to farming are to be invited to observe and provide the best methods of agriculture that would ensure maximum output from our lands. Technological progress should be set in an effort of also enhancing farming practices. Follow-ups should be scheduled and observed appropriately to enforce on the success of the set objectives.

Concerning tourism, funds are to be requested from the Board of TeRunanga o Ngati Aoira along with other relevant groups and governing bodies in a bid to collect enough funds to set up the cultural museums needed. From this, the revenue collected from the tourism sector should enable the maintenance of the set up together with the sustainability of our economy.

For the final objective, the same applies where we have to request for funds from the relevant bodies and proper management should follow to ensure 100%^success in active fishing together with the production of seafood.

References

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