Victor is committed to realising success in whānau, hapū, marae, and iwi. His passion for unrelenting achievement for Māori was forged on the fulcrum of marae, whanau and hapu cultural and socio-political challenge and response.
He has over 45 years of involvement in the cultural, educational and economic affairs of whānau, marae, hapū and iwi. He has supported and facilitated Māori hui across the broad spectrum of kaupapa.
He is a trustee of Puketawai Marae and the chairperson of E Tipu Kohanga Reo. He is the trustee advisor for the Ūawanui Environmental Sustainability Project. Victor is also a Kaikōrero (speaker) for the marae in Uawa (Tolaga Bay) and is a student of Mōteatea (tribal poetry).
The Ūawa Environmental Sustainability Project
The Ūawanui Environmental Sustainability Project was born in 2010, and is a 100 year environmental strategy that was co-designed and organised from a desire by Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti and the Ūawa Community to build a shared vision for the management of their Ūawa catchment and coastline. What started as an Ūawa riverside project grew into a 56,000 hectare Ūawanui catchment strategy. The strategy is called ‘He Manawa Whenua, He Oranga Tangata – Healthy Environments. Healthy People. Victor will cover how the project will enhance the environment, community and economy of Ūawa for future generations and to grow local eco-cadets and scientists.