Protecting the life essence of land and ocean through Indigenous stewardship.

Hinemoana Halo (“HHPF”) is an Aotearoa-based, Indigenous-led conservation and environmental sustainability organization committed to combining traditional Indigenous practices with modern science to safeguard and restore our precious environment.

Our mission is to protect the life essence (mauri) of our natural world through innovative, community-led initiatives.

Close-up of red flames against a black background.

  • Who we are:

    Hinemoana Halo (“HHPF”) is an indigenous-led conservation and environmental sustainability organization, committed to combining traditional indigenous practices with modern science to safeguard and restore our precious environment. Our mission is to protect the life essence (mauri) of our natural world through innovative, community-led initiatives.

    HHPF was conceived in partnership with Conservation International at the Hinemoana Halo Oceans Summit gathering of traditional Indigenous leaders in 2023. Our whakapapa (genealogy) binds us as Polynesian people and our moana (oceans) connects us.

    Five Iwi (Māori tribes) and the House of Ariki of the Cook Islands signed the historic Hinemoana Halo Agreement at the inaugural Hinemoana Halo Ocean Summit in Gisborne, Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • What we do:

    Hinemoana Halo Indigenous-led initiatives focus on land and ocean resilience, driven by the wisdom of Māori and Pacific leaders. We empower indigenous communities to take charge of managing and restoring their coastlines and high seas.

    We are dedicated to revitalizing vital ecosystems, including seagrass beds, wetlands, mangroves, and coastal forests. By harnessing both traditional knowledge and scientific research, we aim to create high-impact solutions for our planet.

    Our strategy includes recovering and protecting populations of essential marine species, such as whales, sharks, dolphins, and seabirds. These efforts are crucial for maintaining the balance of our ocean ecosystems. To achieve this Hinemoana Halo developing innovative projects to enhance carbon sequestration while promoting biodiversity, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations.

Our organization is a partnership of 5 key iwi shareholder groups and Conservation International.

Hinemoana Halo Partnership Fund Ltd.

Company registered under the Companies Act 1993 New Zealand and a registered charity under the Charitable Act 1957 New Zealand.

Board of Directors

  • A woman with short brown hair, glasses, and green earrings, smiling and wearing a black top, standing in front of a wooden wall with a faint logo or design.

    Lisa Tumahai

    Co-Chair/ Shareholder Director
    Te Rūnanga o Ngati Waewae

  • A man with traditional Maori facial tattoos, wearing a black shirt with a logo, sitting indoors with a plant and abstract art in the background.

    Aperahama Edwards

    Co-Chair/ Shareholder Director
    Ngāti Wai Trust Board

  • A smiling woman with curly gray and black hair, wearing wooden spiral earrings and a black sweater with white specks, sitting indoors.

    Katie Murray

    Shareholder Director
    Te Runanga o Te Rarawa

  • A woman with long curly brown hair, wearing a red top, smiling at the camera.

    Marijke Warmenhoven

    Shareholder Director
    Te Rūnanga o Te Whānau-ā-Apanui

  • A man smiling, wearing a blue shirt and gold garlands, standing outdoors in front of a staircase with green and red railing.

    Tupuna Rakinui

    Shareholder Director
    Ui Ariki Ngateitei o te Kuki Airangi Inc

  • A middle-aged man with short gray hair and a beard, wearing a patterned brown shirt, standing outdoors with a blurred background of green trees and plants.

    Richard Jeo

    Non-Shareholder Director
    Conservation International

  • A man with light skin and blonde hair standing outdoors in front of a blurred cityscape and mountains, wearing a light blue button-up shirt.

    Paul Morgan

    Non-Shareholder Director
    Conservation International

  • A woman wearing traditional attire, with braided hair on her head, holding a microphone and smiling on stage. Two women are in the background.

    La Quen Naay Medicine Crow

    Non-Shareholder Director
    Conservation International

…representing the generations of our indigenous people that have come before us and those who will follow.

  • Group of people gathered outdoors in front of a Maori-style building with green carvings and figures, under a blue sky.

    Ngati Waewae

  • Large crowd of people gathered outside a house on a hillside surrounded by greenery.

    Ngāti Wai

  • Group of people, including children, gathered on a stage with a sign that reads 'Te Rarawa,' in front of a wooden building with a triangular roof.

    Te Rarawa

  • Group of people gathered in a room, dressed in traditional Hawaiian attire, some wearing flower leis and flower crowns, posing for a photo.

    House of Ariki Cook Islands

  • Group of people standing and sitting in front of a traditional Polynesian or Maori meeting house with intricate carvings and a carved figure on top, under a partly cloudy sky.

    Te Whānau-ā-Apanui

Our Projects

  • Protect and restore marine and land ecosystems

    These initiatives aim to restore the health and biodiversity of the whenua (land) and moana (ocean), focusing on critical habitats like seagrass meadows, mangroves, and coral reefs, native forests, wetlands, lagoons, salt marshes, freshwater bodies.

  • Empower Indigenous communities

    Hinemoana Halo recognises the vital role Indigenous Peoples have played as stewards of the land and ocean for generations. The initiative empowers these communities by supporting their leadership and incorporating their traditional knowledge alongside western science into conservation efforts.

  • Promote sustainable economic development

    By restoring the moana and whenua health, the initiatives aim to create sustainable economic opportunities for coastal communities through nature-based solutions and activities like responsible fishing and ecotourism.

Hinemoana ki Hawaiki

Aflagship project led by Ngāti Wai iwi under the leadership of Aperahama Edwards.

This brings us to our Tohora, our whales. As you know, healthy whale populations are emblematic of a healthy ocean. We are implementing an Indigenous led oceans protections and restoration initiative and developing financial mechanisms to support our indigenous led kaupapa. The corner stone initiative of Hinemoana ki Hawaiki is He Whakaputanga Moana – The Whale protection and legal personhood declaration. 

As the founders of He Whakaputanga Moana Whale Legal Personhood Declaration, HHPF has mandated Ngati Wai iwi to undertake our kaitiaki responsibilities of the declaration with the support of our Patron, Kaumaiti Nui Tou Travel Ariki of Rarotonga.

The He Whakaputanga Moana Whale Legal Personhood Declaration document belongs to Hinemoana Halo. The document signed by the late Kiingi Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII (maori king), the Kaumaiti Nui Tou Travel Ariki of Rarotonga (tribal chiefs) and maori rangataira of Aotearoa/Te Waipounamu New Zealand and the Cook Islands is housed with the office of Ngati Wai Iwi.  Many other signatories have been added to the declaration since the launch in 2024.  Any use of the document or our kaupapa is only at our approval.

Read the Declaration
Two large humpback whales swimming underwater in the ocean.
A whale's tail emerging from the ocean with seagulls flying in the sky above.
Two whales swimming in the blue ocean, one with a smaller whale on its back.
A whale swimming underwater, with a smaller whale or calf nearby.
A whale swimming underwater in the ocean.
Three large whales swimming underwater in the ocean.