Te Whatakai

Te Whatakai is a kaupapa Māori docuseries celebrating the many ways our people connect with the whenua and the moana through kai. Featuring kōrero from a range of Māori experts, the series dives into traditional practices like hunting, diving, fishing, planting, and trapping — all through a Te Ao Māori lens.

Through each episode, we explore tikanga, mātauranga, and intergenerational knowledge passed down through whānau, hapū, and iwi. The goal is to reconnect our communities with sustainable, mana-enhancing practices and to show how gathering kai can be an act of healing, learning, and cultural revival.

More than just collecting food, Te Whatakai is about nourishing our whenua, wai, and hapori and ourselves in meaningful, respectful, and connected ways.

Meet the team behind Te Whatakai

Dr Troy Ruhe (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) 

A lifelong learner and fluent speaker of Te Reo Māori, Troy is deeply committed to conservation and kai sovereignty. He is the founder of a Rangatahi Mahinga Kai Kura, where young people learn tikanga-based food gathering and kaitiakitanga practices. As a researcher, Troy’s passion is exploring how outdoor practices can enhance wellbeing, and he brings a scientific and social lens to the series.

Mani Malloy Sharplin (Kāi Tahu) 

A fluent Te Reo Māori speaker and registered social worker, Mani is the Toihau of a Māori health and social service under Te Rūnanga o Moeraki. With a strong belief in the healing power of the taiao (natural world), Mani views Te Whatakai as a resource to support Māori hauora by reconnecting to whenua and wai.

Te Rūnanga o Moeraki 

This project is supported by a subsidiary of the Rūnanga and reflects our collective aspiration to express what it means to be Māori rediscovering identity and wellbeing through the whenua, the kai, and the stories passed down.

Te Waitati Pā
Both Troy and Mani live and work at Te Waitati Pā, where they wānanga and pass on mātauranga to the next generation. Their everyday lives are steeped in kaupapa Māori practice, and Te Whatakai is a natural extension of that mahi capturing real experiences from the Pā and beyond.

The funds raised through this campaign will directly support the production of our kaupapa-led video series, ensuring it is created safely, respectfully, and to a high standard. Here’s how your contribution will be used:

Filming Equipment – To capture high-quality, immersive footage:

• GoPros with waterproof housing for action shots
• Lenses and memory cards for cameras
• Bluetooth microphones for clear interviews and dialogue

Kai Collecting Equipment – To support the safe and respectful gathering of kai:

• Wetsuits and catchbags for diving
• Basic food processing and preparation costs

Koha for Guests and Block Permissions – This is a major focus of our budget:

• Koha for experts who generously share their mātauranga (knowledge)
• Koha for private landowners who grant us safe access to their whenua

Editing Software 

• Subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud to professionally edit and release our content

Te Whatakai is a short-form docuseries created to reconnect Māori with the whenua and moana through storytelling, kai collection, and outdoor adventure — all told through a Māori lens and spoken in Te Reo Māori.

This kaupapa shares mātauranga Māori about the animals we harvest, their history in Aotearoa, and their role in our ecosystems. We explore the deeper relationship we have with kai, kaitiakitanga, and sustainability — grounded in wānanga, action, and aroha for te taiao.

Available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, this series blends cinematic storytelling with education and whakapapa — with the ultimate goal of nurturing rangatahi, whānau and hapori to see kai as identity, healing, and sovereignty.

Series Breakdown – 5 Episodes + Mini Content

Episode 1: Te Haerenga o te Kohinga Moni
The story behind this kaupapa and the people behind the camera. A behind-the-scenes look at how we fund, build and create this kaupapa with transparency and purpose.

Episode 2: He aha te Mahinga Kai?
What is mahinga kai really? Through kōrero with our kaumātua and whānau, we explore the deeper meanings behind collecting kai — touching on food security, sovereignty, and connection to whenua.

Episode 3: Te Poaka – The Pig
We unpack the history of pigs in Aotearoa, ethical hunting practices, and full animal use for sustenance. This is hands-on mātauranga Māori in action from forest to hāngī.

Episode 4: Te Tia – The Deer
An insight into deer as introduced species — their impact, their value, and how we manage them for conservation and kai. We learn to respect and rebalance the ngahere.

Episode 5: Kaimoana – Seafood
Safety, tikanga, and taonga species — we dive into how to respect the moana and gather kai in a way that supports long-term regrowth and abundance.

This is a steppingstone to filling a large gap in media which is the dearth of mahinga kai content, in Te Reo Māori which teaches hapori how to collect, process, and utilise kai. 

Food sovereignty and security is an area that is underdeveloped in a large demographic of Māori communities. Additionally, this content provides an avenue for tāngata Māori to understand their relationship to the whenua and the moana through demystifying the process of getting involved in mahinga kai practice.

We want to make this practice as accessible as possible to nourish our hapori with the knowledge to catch and feed themselves; and therefore, how this kai can change your relationship with the wider environment.