Culture Without Borders: Native Nations United Connects the Next Generation of Indigenous Leaders

A group of First Nations Australian rangatahi from the Northern Territory will arrive in Aotearoa this week to begin a 10-day cultural exchange focused on strengthening Indigenous identity, connection and leadership.

The visit marks the Aotearoa leg of Native Nations United, an international kaupapa founded by Murupara tourism operator Nadine Toe Toe that connects Indigenous rangatahi from remote communities through travel, cultural exchange and regenerative tourism.

The exchange will see First Nations Australian and Māori rangatahi journey together through Auckland, Waitomo, Rotorua, Murupara, Whirinaki, Ōhiwa, Tōrere, Maketū and Tauranga Moana before Māori rangatahi continue the journey in Australia later this month.

For Toe Toe, the kaupapa is about creating opportunities that many young people from remote communities would otherwise never have.

"International travel can transform lives," she said.

"It's about levelling the playing field and giving our rangatahi opportunities that many others either get or take for granted. We want them to understand they are global citizens. They have a voice in the world, a place in the world and there is value."

Native Nations United grew from a desire to broaden horizons and create pathways for rangatahi.

Before Covid-19, Toe Toe regularly supported rangatahi from Murupara to travel around Aotearoa, helping them experience life beyond their own community and build connections across the country.

The kaupapa expanded after she attended the World Indigenous Tourism Summit in Perth, where she connected with First Nations Australian tourism operators who shared similar aspirations for their own rangatahi.

Together, they developed the first international exchange between Māori and First Nations Australian rangatahi.

Since then, Native Nations United has continued to grow, with exchanges involving Indigenous communities from Canada and the Pacific, while nations including Hawaii, Peru, Taiwan and Tahiti have expressed interest in future partnerships.

Toe Toe said Native Nations United brings together leadership, education, cultural identity and tourism to create lasting change.

"Through these journeys we're reconnecting young people with who they are, where they come from and what's possible for their future."

This year's programme includes visits to some of Aotearoa's significant cultural and natural places, beginning with the All Blacks Experience in Auckland and Waitomo Caves before travelling to Rotorua.

Participants will experience Māori approaches to wellbeing at Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, visit Te Puia and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, experience the significance of Mt Tarawera and be welcomed onto Rangitahi Marae in Murupara.

They will also spend time with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa, visit Minginui Nursery to learn about native forest regeneration, explore Whirinaki Forest with local guides and take part in waka training, star navigation and cultural workshops in Tōrere.

Along the way, rangatahi will connect with Māori tourism operators and community leaders who demonstrate how tourism can support people, culture and the environment.

Toe Toe said tourism can be a powerful vehicle for positive change when it is grounded in relationships, responsibility and giving back.

"For us it's a vehicle to make positive change. It creates employment, particularly for Māori, while allowing people to share their culture authentically.

"Visitors today want meaningful experiences. They want to understand communities, culture and place, and they want to know their visit is making a positive difference."

The programme has already created significant outcomes for past participants.

Former Native Nations rangatahi have gone on to perform on Broadway, represent Indigenous youth at international forums, establish Indigenous tourism initiatives, work in environmental restoration and community development, and pursue careers in law, education and tourism.

Toe Toe said one of the most powerful outcomes has been seeing rangatahi develop confidence in who they are and what they can achieve.

"After they've been connected to who they are and where they're from, they realise they have a place in the world. They leave with confidence, purpose and the belief that they can make a difference."

She believes investing in rangatahi is essential for future generations.

"They are our future. As Māori we don't make five-year business plans — we make 500-year plans. We make mokopuna decisions, thinking about how what we do today will affect generations to come."

After completing the Aotearoa journey, Māori rangatahi will travel to Australia to continue the exchange with their First Nations Australian counterparts, learning from communities on Country and connecting with ancient landscapes including Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Uluru.

Toe Toe hopes Native Nations United will continue growing into a global network connecting Indigenous communities through shared culture, leadership and regenerative tourism.

"If we can inspire these young people to become leaders in their own communities, and inspire visitors to see Indigenous cultures through different eyes, then we're creating something much bigger than tourism."