Eruera Rarere-Witlon

Tēnā koutou katoa, Greetings to you all,

I am honored to express my interest in participating in Masterminding Eden. As an active tribal member of my Māori whakapapa—Ngāti Maru through my father, and Ngāti Whātua, Raukawa, and Tainui through my mother—I bring a deep commitment to Indigenous knowledge systems and regenerative cultural practices.

I advocate for Māori cultural values in local and central government projects, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are not only acknowledged but integrated into decision-making processes that affect our people and our whenua (land). Through Kaihaka Collective and our Māori cultural group, I actively teach and uphold customary Māori practices, passing on knowledge of sustainable living, communal resilience, and environmental stewardship—values that align with the kaupapa of Masterminding Eden.

Alongside me, my wife Oriana Rarere-Wilton of Rongomaiwahine descent works within a program that supports Māori settlements in securing local government funding. Her work ensures these settlements maintain warm, safe, and sustainable premises while strengthening their resilience across the region. By helping these spaces remain viable, she reinforces their cultural and community significance, ensuring they continue to serve as vital hubs for Māori, their communities, and the wider public.

Māori have a long history of designing self-sustaining communities in harmony with the natural world. Our traditional knowledge—from maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar) to rongoā Māori (natural medicine) and papakāinga (ancestral communal living)—offers valuable insights into creating regenerative systems that respect both people and the environment. I am eager to contribute this knowledge to the co-design of a city that is high-tech, resilient, and deeply connected to the land and its people.

Masterminding Eden presents a unique opportunity to engage in a global think tank of experts dedicated to shaping the future of sustainable living. I am excited to bring an Indigenous lens to this conversation, ensuring that solutions are not only innovative but also culturally grounded, adaptable, and rooted in intergenerational wisdom.