About
Background
Matakohe was founded by Jade Kake in late July 2018. Jade started Matakohe with a vision of using her professional skills obtained in te ao Pākehā to assist her whānau and hapū to navigate the planning system and development processes, to realise their own aspirations for development on whenua Māori and within their rohe. She also held a strong desire to grow and support a team of dedicated kaimahi to utilise their professional skills in support of their own whānau and hapū projects, whilst earning a living wage in secure employment.
He tohu, he moemoeā
Matakohe refers to Motu Matakohekohe (also known as Limestone Island), an island in Whangārei Harbour and a tūpuna pā site for our hapū of Te Parawhau. The name Matakohekohe refers to the kohekohe tree clinging to the headland. This ingoa was chosen on a visit to Matakohe in 2017.
“I stood atop the pā site and looked across the harbour to our whenua at Te Rewarewa. This is a very important place to us, where our grandparents were raised and where our whānau have lived for many generations, where we have plans for papakāinga, and which is currently turning to gorse and scrub since the forestry was harvested in 2012. And I thought, in the future, this landscape is going to look very different. Then I looked over to the Port, to the City, to our mountain Parihaka, and over to Manaia where our people now live. And I thought, the future is going to be very different, because I'm going to rebuild our kāinga so we can reoccupy our whenua, and together we're going to change the built environment for the better so that our identity as tangata whenua is evident in our city.”
~ Matakohe Founder and Director Jade Kake
In 2022, Matakohe expanded to open a second office in Tāmaki Makaurau. We find our place and connections in Tāmaki through the whakataukī “Matakohe ki Te Rerenga Wairua,” which refers to the southern boundary of Te Whare o Puhi, known as Matakohe to Ngāpuhi and later known as the Bombay Hills.
Philosophy
Hapū rangatiratanga is at the core of our philosophy and approach to practice. The priority, in our view, should always be to strengthen hau kāinga communities and mana whenua practitioners. Central to our kaupapa is creating opportunities for Māori built environment practitioners in areas they whakapapa to, and supporting these practitioners to utilise their skills in service of their own whānau, hapū or iwi, and to be appropriately valued for their contribution. We champion authentic kaupapa Māori design processes that enhance hapū rangatiratanga, and have a focus on te hauora o te hapori - community wellbeing and development through the use of local mātauranga and skills.
At Matakohe, we aim to empower and engage our team by providing opportunities to lead projects, and by enabling kaimahi to gain the relevant experience and ongoing support required to do so. We also aim to provide a high-autonomy, flexible work environment, where everyone knows what they are doing and are responsible for managing their own workflow. We ensure our team always have access to the space, equipment and software required to do their jobs, as well as access to professional development and training opportunities and opportunities for progression within their roles.
For many Māori in professional roles, there can be a tension between our professional lives and ourselves as whānau and hapū members, with cultural expectations and responsibilities often coming into conflict. As an organisation, we’ve been working really hard to create an environment where our kaimahi don’t have to experience this conflict. We’re whānau and hapū members first, and our professional lives (including Matakohe) exist in service of that. There’s a clear order of priorities, which makes it easier to be our whole selves at work. We are also mindful of our desire for Matakohe to be a supportive workplace for wāhine, particularly those with tamariki and/or other sustained commitments outside of mahi.