We the undersigned, call for an immediate halt to all aerial and ground-based posion drops on our native bush, waterways, and whenua.

As tangata whenua, we hold sacred our role as kaitiaki-guardians of this land, it's ecosystems, and its mauri. Our connection to the environment is not just cultural, it is spiritual, intergenerational, and vital to our wellbeing.

The planned poison drops not only threaten native wildlife but disrupt the entire sacred cycle of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. When posion is dropped into the ngahere, it leaches into the soil. From there, it enters the water table and evaporates into the the sky (Ranginui) before falling back as rain. That poisoned rain feeds our awa, our kai, and our bodies. What touches the whenua touches us. What poisons the land poisons our children.

This cycle of life te rerenga o te wai- is a divine relationship between sky and earth. Interfering with it breaks the balance and violates the sacred roles of these Atua. It is also in direct breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which protects our rights to gather kai and exercise mana whenua without interference or contamination.

Our communities have not been properly consulted. There has been no genuine invitation for all mana whenua to co-design pest control solutions grounded in tikanga Māori and ecological wisdom.

We Demand:

1. An immediate halt to all poison drops in our Rohe.
2. A full cultural and environmental impact review, with leadership from mana whenua.
3. The development of toxin-free kaupapa Māori-aligned pest management practices.

We urge the Department of Conservation, local councils, and the New Zealand Government to respect indegenious sovereignty, uphold the Treaty, and protect the health of the whenua for all generations to come.