Maori Gifts of the Garden

Haere mai, Haere mai, Haere mai,

I have a vision, that in the fast arriving future across Aotearoa New Zealand that Maori, the Tangata Whennua (people of the land) will find themselves engulfed in an agriculture renaissance that will be seen by indigenous peoples globally as the forerunner to bringing communities closer together.

For across Aotearoa there are around 1200 maraes, community meeting areas, these are affiliated to the 7 main iwis, tribes, and the many sub tribes hapu.

This is where wonderul organic gardens based on permaculture methods will spring up around all maraes where young tamariki, children and moku puna, grandchildren under the guidance of their kaumatua, wise elders will plant fresh vital organic vegetables, and bring into being a new industry directly to maori, building self worth, major health benefits, eco-tourism, cooking classes, local trading, and set the template for Maori cooperatives to develop un-used Maori land across the country.

With the use of  thei nternet the young web savvy Maori will show their marae, utilising the latest in web cams, and taking people from around the planet to ‘virtually’ hear a karanga, call/invite to journey through the gates, the whaharoa, into the marae area, to the whare nui, the large meeting house, then under the carved mania, lintal that is over every door and into the inner realms of the building. Where under the decorated heke's, the rafters one can view tukutuku specially woven wall panelling and large carved teko teko holding up the main poles in the building and see that the carvings represent the iwis tipuna, ancestors as you follow the whakapapa lineage of the present tribe back to the 13 th century, since their arrival from across the Pacific to Aotearoa.

Web access will allow the young ones to display their magnificent garden areas, as well as their produce, the abundance of their crops, and the bounty of their production. Composting and mulching and raised beds with soil full of microflora will be shown as well as methods of growing maori food from the past.

Everyone will be proud to be part of this huge cooperative effort. People will come from afar to view such a vibrant and sight, and feel the love, the aroha of a people at peace, healthy, happy, joyful, working with the land in a sacred act.

Yes very soon all Marae will be gardens of health, virtue and life and light. It is coming.

The wairua will ripple through the land, and aroha (unconditional love) will wash over us allowing the ahi (fire) to remain in our heart (ngākau).


As for myself, Tim Lynch, my whakapapa, my lineage goes back via my great, great grand mother Hineka, from Ngati Kahungunu the iwi from the Hawkes Bay region of Te ika a Maui, the North Island of New Zealand. Aotearoa.

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