Te Ara Whatu

Pacific communities from Aotearoa, to the islands of Tonga, Samoa, Papua and all those in between, are at the frontlines of climate change. Daily, we face the threat of not only climate induced sea level rise, but the potential loss of the mountains, lands, volcanoes and waters which inform our identity as Indigenous peoples. Despite the weight of the realities we face we choose to rise with the tides and ensure te ara whatu, the woven path, continues on for future generations.

Te Ara Whatu wants to support ongoing Indigenous climate leadership through the establishment of an annual Pacific Climate Fellowship. This fellowship would be a place for Pacific rangatahi to continue to explore Indigenous understandings of climate justice, and gain access to the support and tools needed to be effective climate leaders within their communities. With the help of local, national and international climate leaders that we have met along the way, we hope to pilot the programme with 10 rangatahi, as we develop a curriculum that can hold space for Indigenous ways of being, thinking and knowing