"I was like, ‘Should we be vegan?’ to my partner, and she was like, ‘Yup.’ And yeah, been vegan since then. It was one of the best decisions of my life."
Pania Newton (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Waikato, Ngāti Mahuta)
"We have used mahinga kai as a deliberate act of resistance, not only to the corporatisation of food, but to reclaim the whenua for what it was once used for."
Tyrone Tungatoa Hack (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa)
"With veganism, you reduce your use and exploitation of animals as much as possible and practicable. So for me, if you don’t need to eat them, you don’t need to harm them, you don’t need to exploit them – don’t do it."
Kayla Howard (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu)
"There’s definitely a strong connection between kaitiakitanga and veganism or modern animal rights, because they’re both based on the value of compassion."
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect animals and the environment, and I attribute this to my Māori heritage.”
“We as Māori should be concerned: dairy farming as an industry, and cows’ milk as a product, exemplifies blatant disregard for our tikanga and perpetuates systemic racism within Aotearoa.”
Jamie Te Huia Cowell (Ngāti Porou, Waikato, Ngāti Te Ata)
"Every opportunity is a learning one, and I think as a kaiako I tend to go that way, start educating and sharing. I get excited, ‘Ooh, might be another reo speaker.’ Or a potential vegetarian!"
