Uhi Tai is an independent kaupapa dedicated to advancing tikanga Māori-led marine governance through research, training, and advocacy. At the heart of Uhi Tai is a commitment to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and centring Tangaroa and Hinemoana in how we care for, protect, and make decisions about our oceans.

Founded by Beth Tupara-Katene, Uhi Tai emerged from the Tangaroa Ararau research project, delivered by Awatea Consulting and Whāia Legal, and funded by MBIE’s Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. Tangaroa Ararau served as the catalyst for Uhi Tai’s creation, marking a shift from a fixed-term research initiative to a long-term kaupapa focused on systemic change in marine governance.

Uhi Tai was first introduced to the public as a toi Māori expression of the Tangaroa Ararau project—an immersive art gallery and exhibition that wove together research findings with traditional and contemporary Māori art forms. This unique expression of knowledge laid the foundation for a broader movement: one that sees Māori-led governance not as a concept to be translated through policy alone, but as a living, creative, and deeply relational approach to our moana.

Uhi Tai, meaning the ascending tides of Tangaroa, symbolises the rising tide of new perspectives: a kaupapa that challenges the entrenched systems of marine governance and advocates for a future shaped by whakapapa, wānanga, and kaupapa Māori thinking.

Beth Tupara-Katene has over 20 years of experience providing policy and strategic advice for natural resource management policy in Aotearoa, New Zealand, working extensively with iwi to uphold their rights, promote sustainable resource management and foster respectful relationships between communities, the natural environment, and all life within it. Beth is dedicated to integrating Māori customary practices, Indigenous knowledge, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi into marine governance. Aligned with her tribal obligations, she advances initiatives that empower iwi and hapū as kaitiaki to shape natural resource management and strengthen the relationship between people and the environment. Recently, she led Tangaroa Ararau – Reimagining Marine Governance in Aotearoa, a research project exploring ocean-centered governance models free from current system constraints, while upholding guarantees provided to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. To ensure findings were accessible and meaningful to communities, the project’s findings were shared through Uhi Tai, a creative expression offering insights through a distinctly Māori lens.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who generously shared their time, expertise, and whakaaro with us throughout our research journey. We were privileged to kōrero with experts across tikanga, customary and commercial fishing, policy, law, the arts, and whānau and hapū perspectives.

We also acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the Tangaroa Ararau research team, whose collective efforts helped shape the foundation of Uhi Tai. Your leadership, insight, and support have been instrumental in the development of this kaupapa and continue to influence the work we carry forward.