We are pleased to welcome Te Tika Mataiapo (Dorice Reid) to the Greengrants Pacific Islands Advisory Board. Te Tika is the President of the Koutu Nui, a council of traditional leaders in the Cook Islands. In this role she is responsible for safeguarding the environment, culture, and welfare of her people. She tells us, “My work is inspired by my dedication to ensuring the preservation of our traditional knowledge and practices, which is based on our spiritual connection to the environment.” Te Tika’s unique position and her experience in working with a diverse range of people and cultures will enrich Greengrants’ grantmaking in the Cook Islands tremendously.
Te Tika’s Leadership in the Cook Islands Conservation Movement
Te Tika lives on the largest island in the Cook Islands archipelago, Rarotonga. Rarotonga is a popular destination and brings in significant revenue from the tourism industry. However, Te Tika notes that this has sometimes come at the cost of the environment. She says, “We need to be sensitive to the impact of tourism development on the environment and our people.” Through her role as Koutu Nui, she has been able to take some significant steps towards this goal. She and her fellow Koutu Nui have developed a ‘Visioning Project’ that is working towards the implementation of a national Sustainable Development plan, which she adds, “will give our people direction for the future in sustainable land management issues, tradition, culture and environment.”
One of the great successes of the Koutu Nui thus far has been the reintroduction of the traditional Raui system—a natural resource management system whereby the harvest of particular resources, specified by chiefs, is banned. This traditional system had been absent for nearly 50 years, and during this time the marine life in the lagoon became seriously depleted due to irresponsible fishing practices. “It was necessary to take action,” says Te Tika. In 1998 the Raui system was reintroduced to the island by the Koutu Nui with the help of funds from the World Wildlife Fund and New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency. More than 10 years have passed and now, Te Tika explains, “The lagoons are teeming with colorful fish and shops have increased their business in areas where tourists visit.”
The success from the reintroduction of the Raui system has “created a new awareness, understanding and change in the attitude of the community towards the environment and our resources,” Te Tika notes. Its positive impacts have since spread beyond the Cook Islands to other island nations, whose leaders are now integrating it into their own islands’ conservation efforts.
Climate Change Poses Immediate Threats for Survival
Despite the efforts of the traditional leaders, the Cook Islands continue to face urgent environmental issues. Climate change is at the very top of the list. “We live on small and fragile islands in serious danger from rising sea levels and climate change,” Te Tika laments. In addition to this ever-present threat is the challenge of finding a sustainable energy substitution for the petroleum-based fuels the islands use for power generation and transport.
Te Tika knows that the challenges the Pacific Islands face in addressing these common areas of vulnerability involve complex adaptation measures that are larger than what the Koutu Nui can face alone. Without the help of international donors, she fears that the voices of the Pacific Islands will be drowned out by those of large developed countries. It is with the assistance of outside funding, and Greengrants funds in particular, that she has been able to leverage her position and knowledge to make a significant difference for her island nation.
As a Greengrants Advisor, Te Tika’s Mission Continues
In joining the Greengrants Pacific Islands Advisory Board, Te Tika plans to focus on the importance of environment and biodiversity conservation in conjunction with community development. She believes that Greengrants’ funding model reaches communities’ core needs at all levels in a highly positive and effective manner. This allows for careful development and at the same time, protects the environment. It is her hope that through Greengrants, she and the people of the Pacific Islands will be able to make an extraordinary difference in creating a more sustainable future. Te Tika concludes, “Like the ant who is industrious and respectfully greets every ant he meets, we must respect each other. We must work together in peace and harmony, to protect our planet for our future generations and all of its inhabitants. The responsible action that each one of us takes will make a difference.”