Te Ngaehe Wanikau
Māori people
New Zealand

“Upon the chill winds blowing from the sacred peaks of our ancestor mountain Tongariro, the heartbeat of our people, I was born.”

Te Ngaehe Wanikau is a Māori tumuaki: leader, guide and spokesman for the Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro people and guardian authority for the mountainous region found in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. Te Ngaehe supports his tribe with mediation and negotiations to effectively co-manage the sacred Māori environment together with local agencies.