Here is a 2 minute summary video about us and what brings us together

Te Whare Hukahuka is a Māori governance institute based in New Zealand.

We help Māori organisations govern well – developing leaders, creating methodologies and frameworks, sharing insights and convening collaborations that strengthen governance, strategy, measurement and succession from a Māori perspective.

Our leadership team is currently in the UK and Europe (Aug–Sep 2026) to explore conversations around governance, leadership, organisational development and community impact.

Our main intentions

01

Weave winds and essence

Authentic, long-term relationships with those who have insights around strengthening organisations and communities, where Indigenous knowledge and contemporary practice can genuinely learn from one another.

02

Explore what is working

Practical approaches to governance, leadership and measurement that are creating positive outcomes in communities.

03

Turn ideas into action

So that learning and relationships become programmes, tools and partnerships that nurture and grow the current and future generations in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We’re making this journey to explore what becomes possible when Indigenous knowledge and contemporary practice genuinely learn from one another.

A different way of seeing organisations

The Māori worldview treats these six disciplines as deeply interconnected and essential to enable an organisation to successfully endure over time. Te Whare Hukahuka works at this intersection.

Governance

Governance

Holding the whole system with clarity and accountability.

Leadership

Leadership

Leading from service, values and whakapapa.

Strategy

Strategy

Navigating towards a shared vision across generations.

Culture

Culture

Living our identity, language and values in all that we do.

Stewardship

Stewardship

Caring for people, place and resources for future generations.

Impact

Impact

Understanding what truly changes for our people and our world.

Indigenous knowledge in practice

Below are four examples of indigenous Māori frameworks which are proven to enable governance leaders to run more effective organisations.

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Strategic Planning Poutama

A pathway to develop robust organisational strategy that sets out the strategic direction and the organisation’s core identity, and then moves through a set of strategic choices to build focus, alignment and a rigorous assessment of what it will take to ensure effective delivery over time.

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Seasonal Governance

Aligning board activity and organisational energy with seasonal cycles.

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Determinants of Success

Six determinants observed within successful kaupapa Māori organisations.

Questions we are exploring

These questions may shape our conversations and shared projects:
□ Which organisations and movements are thinking across generations rather than election cycles?
□ How is metaphor and environmental observation informing organisational thinking and measurement?
□ Does governance operate differently when based around stewardship rather than ownership?
□ What indicators beyond the tangible help to predict the health of systems and organisations?
□ Where are there opportunities to test our proven frameworks with community organisations?
□ How can Indigenous knowledge most effectively contribute to contemporary governance?

Te Whare Hukahuka

For more than a decade, we’ve worked alongside Māori organisations at every stage of growth—developing practical governance and leadership frameworks grounded in mātauranga Māori.

  • Governance frameworks
  • Leadership programmes
  • Strategy & planning processes
  • Government strategy advisory
  • Sector leadership & insights
  • Board-ready KPIs and measurement
  • Tribal enterprise development
  • Ka Eke Poutama (succession programme)
All of our methodologies are tested in practice rather than being theoretical
Ka Eke Poutama wānanga participantCollaborative learning at wānangaParticipants working togetherWhanaungatanga at wānangaCommunity learning and kōreroWhānau and community gathered together
Practical learning, collective leadership and relationships that endure.
  • 12 years of insights gathered
  • 400+ organisations supported
  • 2,500+ leaders engaged
  • ✦ Nationally and internationally recognised

Why the UK & Europe?

In this video Shay and Shaquille provide some context for the trip, how it relates to our work in New Zealand, and the conversations we are looking to have.

The simple answer is that we are coming to the UK and Europe to build relationships.

We believe that some of the most important ideas actually emerge when different traditions of knowledge come together.

Through our work with hundreds of organisations we've been able to observe patterns. And we’ve been able to garner insights.

Across the UK and Europe we are aware of some extraordinary universities, communities and Indigenous organisations, philanthropic groups, social enterprises, governance practitioners who are all doing really important work and asking equally important questions.

We look forward to sharing in wānanga on our shared interests.

Meet Shay & Shaquille

Two of our leadership team are in the UK and Europe (Aug–Sep 2026) and ready to explore conversations around governance, leadership, organisational development and community impact.

Shay Wright

Pou Tokomanawa

Co-founder. Expertise areas: Governance, strategy, framework development, programme design.

View bio →

Shaquille Shortland

Pou Amorangi

Spiritual Lead & Facilitator. Former CEO of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. Expertise areas: Māori knowledge, programme design.

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People we’d love to meet

Social innovation experts
Universities & researchers
Community organisations
Indigenous communities
Potential clients
Governance practitioners

What collaboration could look like

Sharing data and insights
Co-designing projects
Testing our frameworks
Research collaborations
Site visits and exchanges
Research collaborations

Our journey

UK Italy Portugal
We are finalising meeting dates based around our shared availability.

Our movements:

  • United Kingdom | 18 August - 6 September
  • Italy | 7-16 September
  • Portugal | 16-27 September