Norman Hill

Position: Relationship Group Co-ordinator, Genesis Energy.
Field: Holistic wellbeing of iwi.

Norman Hill (Rāhui Pōkeka iwi) liaises between Genesis Energy (GE) and the iwi of Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly). He has researched the Waikato River environment in relation to his people for over 7 years. Norman firstly worked for the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ) as an environmental student before working as an environmental officer for the Tainui Māori Trust Board. He then became environmental manager for Waahi Whaanui Trust (WWT) in Huntly and has processed a number of resource consents with a focus on the river.

He was involved in writing a report for the 2008 River Settlement Claim concerning the environment from an iwi perspective.

Norman had some experience managing the monitoring of the river for Huntly Power Station (HPS). He looked at impacts HPS had on the river and the environment and consequently on the local community.

Norman’s passion is working for and with his people. His job now is to engage with iwi. In 2010, Genesis Energy entered into a 20-year relationship with iwi, and it is Norman’s responsibility to see that objectives for iwi are carried out. These include environmental, cultural, educational, training and employment objectives. In this role, Norman works for Ngā Maramara o Rāhui Pōkeka (an agreement entity between GE and marae and WWT).

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei. Pursue excellence – should you stumble, let it be to a lofty mountain.

Norman would describe his current position as Relationship Group Co-ordinator. He helps groups work together to maximise funding and work effort for the restoration of the river. He describes his field of work as being concerned with the holistic wellbeing of iwi. This includes cultural, environmental, marae, education training and relationship development.

This is Norman’s story in his own words:

Ngā maramara o Rāhui Pōkeka

Kia tupu, kia hua, kia puāwai. Ko te tino kaupapa, ā ko te orangā o te iwi me ngā kaupapa whakatika taiāo

I ngā rā o mua, ko te tūmanako me te kōrero ō ngā kaumātua ki ngā taiohi rangātahi, “kia whai atu i ngā matauranga o te ao hurihuri”, na te mea, ko te matauranga Pākehā, nō na te ao.

Nā reira i haere ahau ki te whare wānanga o Waikato. I rāpu taku tohu putaiao i te tau 1998. Ko taku mahi tuātahi, i noho wahangū ki te taha o Sir Robert Mahuta, i te wā o tōna kaha me ōnā mahi angitū e pā ana ki ngā whenua raupatu. Ko taku mahi, he kaimahi mo te taiao mo ngā mahi whakatika te awa tūpuna o Waikato.

Kua mahi au ki roto o te kamupene o ECNZ, arā te whare hiko ko Huntly Power Station i ngā tau 1995-1997. Ko ahau he mangai mō te taiao, ā ka mahi au ki roto i te chemistry Lab mo ēnei tau, e toru.

Ka pīrangi ahau ki te whai i ngā kaupapa o Te Papa Atawhai. Nā reirā, mo ngā tau e whā, kua mahi au ki Kirirkiriroa ki Te Papa Atawhai. He Kaiārahi Awa Koiora ahau. Ka mahi au i ngā kaupapa whakapai; ngāhere, ngataki, ngā roto me ngā awa kei waenganui o Waikato-Tainui.

He rawe te mahi matauranga taiao, i te taha wairua me te taha Pākehā. Ko te kaupapa nūnui ngā mahi o koinā, I te mea kia mau ki te ture, te aroha me te whakapono o ngā kaupapa tūturu, ā ki ngā tāonga tuku ihō.

Ko taku tino kaupapa, ko te whakamāramatanga o te matauranga. Ko ngā matauranga Māori mai te timatanga puta noā ki tenei ao hurihuri. Āra, ko ngā kaupapa Māori me ngā kaupapa putaiao.

Ko āku mahi inaiānei, hei mangai mō āku hapū me ngā marae e whakahonohono ki tētahi Corporate, ā ko Genesis Energy. Ko taku mahi kia awhi, kia te whakaako hoki i ngā kaumātua me ngā rangātahi ki ngā kaupapa taiao, ngā mahi awa koiora, ngā mahi mātaitanga o ngā awa me ngā roto i tēnei rohe ki Rāhui Pōkeka.

Ngā hakinakina katoa.

Tēnei te mihi

This article is based on information current in 2014.