Ko te oranga o te tangata kei roto i tōna tūhono ki tōna taiao. Mō te hunga Māori o Aotearoa, ko te whakapapa ki a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku te ara whakaū i tō tātou hononga ki ngā atua Māori me ō rātou tini tamariki. Ko ngā atua ngā pou o te ao tūroa e kaha whāngai, e kaha manāki ana i te hunga Māori me tōna ahurea. Koia nei ko te orokohanga mai o te kaitiakitanga. Mā ngā mahi ā-rēhia, ngā tikanga nō tuawhakarere, ka ora ai te hononga o te tangata ki tōna taiao. Heoi nō ngā tau hou, kua ūhia tēnei momo mana kaitiaki ki runga i te hunga tangata, hei tiaki hei manāki i ngā mokopuna o te taiao. I roto hoki i ēnei tau hou kua hipa, kua nui ake te hunga Māori kua hūnuku ki ngā taone o Aotearoa. Ko te nuinga nō iwi kē, e noho ana i raro i te korowai manāki o ngā hunga mana whenua o ērā taone. Ka mutu, kua muia hoki te taone i ngā kino hauropi, ā, kua mōtū te hiranga o te taiao ki te oranga o te tangata noho taone. Nā te nui o ngā pēhitanga ki te taiao o te taone, kua whakaoho ake ngā mahi haumanu hauropi e te hunga putaiao. Heoi, tē whakaū i ngā uara Māori ki ēnei mahi whakahaumanu. Ko te whāinga matua o tēnei tuhinga, he arohaehae i te awenga o te kaitiakitanga ki te taone. Ko tā matou he whakawā i te huanga o te kaitiakitanga ki ngā mahi whakahaumanu hauropi i te taiao o te taone. Mā te tātari i ngā momo tauira o te kaitiakitanga ka kite i ōna aho me te hiranga o ēnei aho ki te whāinga matua o te manaaki i te taiao. Me te aha, ko te mātauranga taketake, te matauranga a te Māori pea te rongoa hei whakarauora i te ao tūroa.

Urban ecological restoration typically employs western science approaches to restore degraded ecosystems. As yet, few restoration groups acknowledge the history of these degraded urban sites, despite connections, past and present, that root Indigenous Peoples (and others) in these lands. Here, we promote partnership with Indigenous communities from project inception and present two successful case studies from Aotearoa New Zealand. We specifically note that partnering and building relationships with Indigenous communities in restoration efforts require recognition of power inequalities and injustices. We consider success to include both restoration of ecological function and biodiversity and reconnection of all communities to urban ecosystems.