Niho Taniwha Symposium
May 2026
The Lab
In March, The Lab brought together over 60 practitioners from across Aotearoa for our very first Niho Taniwha Symposium.
This event was part of the Niho Taniwha Learning Network, which exists to connect practitioners, share learning, and support the ongoing evolution of Niho Taniwha in practice.
The symposium opened with grounding reflections from The Lab on the foundations of Niho Taniwha — a place-based systems learning approach rooted in mātauranga Māori. Drawing on taniwha as navigators, protectors and holders of knowledge, The Lab described Niho Taniwha as both a framework and a living system: one that centres the mana of whānau, responds to the unique character of place, and supports practitioners to work with complexity in ways that are relational and values-led.
What followed showed that approach in action. The Early Years Team at the National Public Health Service shared how Te Whāriki, a core element of the Niho Taniwha framework, formed an essential foundation for their practice. Te Waka Kerewai, a Māori Outcomes team from Auckland Council, spoke about their use of Niho Taniwha and Hautū Waka to explore the conditions needed to enable truly Māori-centred libraries and community spaces.
These weren't polished case studies; they were honest accounts of work in progress. Kaikōrero were candid about the friction this work encounters: shifting organisational priorities, keeping values intact in environments that weren't built to hold them, and making systems language accessible. The symposium also surfaced questions practitioners are genuinely grappling with, such as how to centre whānau voice in meaningful ways, uphold tikanga across different contexts including online environments, and communicate complex systems ideas in ways that resonate with the whānau and hapori we serve.
Throughout the symposium there was a strong emphasis on the importance of collective learning spaces like this one: places to reflect, stay connected to purpose, and support one another in the ongoing work of systems change. The Niho Taniwha Learning Network continues to provide a space for this, whilst supporting the evolution of Niho Taniwha practice as it is applied in different places and contexts. Join our mailing list to stay connected.
Ngā mihi nunui to our Kaikōrero, to our Kaiwhatu Kōrero Kimi Tangaere and Alex Barnes, and to everyone who showed up and made this first symposium such a rich wānanga.
Recordings of the presentations are available below.
