Ngati Providers

Ngati Providers Kai Mo Te Tēpu was created last year by Travis Tawera as a social media movement to provide for friends and family and to teach the younger generation the art of hunting and gathering – now it is saving lives.

Around 10 years ago, after losing family and close friends to suicide, Travis moved home to his whanau land on the East Coast to get back into nature, but he also had a close call himself.

“I planned to end my life in the bush where nobody would find me. Luckily, I didn’t follow through with my plan as I felt something really strong come over me in the bush that day,” says Travis. “That’s when my life as a hunter-gatherer began. I would walk for days on end in the bush not returning home until I found food not only for myself but for my elders and family in Waipiro Bay.”

Travis started the Ngati Providers Kai Mo Te Tēpu Facebook page last September after his friends and family encouraged him to share his adventures online. Now a page with over 5,000 likes, he has also created a mental health programme called Te Ora I Te Wairua, which means Keeping Our Spirits Alive.  Through the programme, Travis shares the healing power of hunting, fishing, gathering and gardening, getting back into nature and his own journey, while helping other men through theirs.

“I invite them to Waipiro Bay and teach them how to live off the land and talk about their feelings,” says Travis. “The public’s reaction has been crazy, to say the least. I made a video sharing my story through social media and it erupted getting over 150,000 views as well as thousands of likes/loves and shares.”

Travis has a list of hundreds of men who have reached out for help, including Chad Butcher who suffers from bad anxiety and depression.

“When I was down and out from my depression and anxiety I put a post up on Facebook to try and find a hunting mate to go out hunting with. A member of the public tagged Trav on it, and he connected with me,” says Chad. “The movement plays a big part in my life and the outdoors and gathering lifestyle calms me and clears my mind. Travis is always there for me and being able to fill up not only my freezer, but all my whanau’s, is also awesome.”

Travis really hopes that the programme will help to get the suicide rate down which he says is really high on the East Coast. He believes that by reconnecting back with the land and being able to speak up and ask for help they can achieve it.

“I’m proud to have changed lives already, and I feel like we are really onto something good with the programme,” he says. “I’m hoping one day soon others with similar resources as me can start up other programmes around New Zealand as it can be really hard doing counselling and having people judging you in an office with a pen and paper.”

At the moment the programme is seeking sponsorship to help with funding and have already had assistance from a local forestry company, and he’s also had lots of interest in the movement from high-profile Kiwis like Piri Weepu and Peter Peeti.

“We have also received donations of hunting and fishing gear from some awesome Kiwis out there and we can’t thank them enough,” says Travis. “I’m very thankful to have their support in this as I can’t do it all on my own, and I also want to say without my family and friends sticking by me I wouldn’t be here today. I’m now happily engaged to my fiancé and have added another addition to my family.”

For anyone wanting to get in contact with Travis or if you would like to follow his story, you can connect through the Facebook page – Ngati Providers Kai Mo Te Tēpu.