River Iwi Summer Internships | Wellington
Te Manatū mo te Taiao warmly invites uri from Waikato-Waipa and Whanganui River Iwi to apply for summer internship positions within our internship programme running from 24 November 2025 to 13 February 2026. These positions will be based in Wellington.
Each year we offer five internships to those who are registered with or whakapapa, to at least one of the following River Iwi in alignment with the Treaty of Waitangi settlement commitments with the Crown. Namely:
Ngāti Tūwharetoa (one intern)
Waikato-Waipā River Iwi (one intern each)
Waikato-Tainui
Te Nehenehenui
Raukawa
Te Arawa River Iwi (TARIT; one intern)
Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa
Ngāti Kearoa-Ngāti Tuarā
Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao
Mō tatou: He taiao tōnui mō ngā reanga katoa
We are at the forefront of policy and tackle issues that impact the environment by making decisions that reflect the Treaty of Waitangi, are grounded in mātauranga, science, and evidence, and bringing te āo Māori into our everyday work. We connect people and communities with te Taiao, and support the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of Aotearoa by bringing the environment to the heart of decision-making for the benefit of future generations. We collaborate and partner with others to reach improved environmental outcomes by listening, engaging, investing, and monitoring to see what's working. We drive constant improvement across the environmental and natural resource system.
Mō tēnei tūrangi mahi: tuakana-teina
The internships provide important opportunities for you to develop your skills in the public sector and improve relationships between your iwi and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE). Through a tuakana-teina approach you will provide MfE with creative ideas, a fresh look at the issues we are exploring, and will help us build our capacity and capability in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kaitiakitanga, mātauranga and te āo Māori. As teina you will be in a supportive environment with tuakana that awhi and provide you with first-hand experience and exposure to our everyday mahi.
Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako: Ngā kaitiaki mo te taiao
There are a range of environmental work programmes within MfE that are on offer. We will work together to find a programme of relevance to the skills and needs of you and your iwi. The mahi you do will be related to your assigned team's objectives. This may include assisting with activities in research, analysis and delivery of new projects and programmes. We want to be challenged by your curious, creative, and innovative ideas that embody te āo Māori, tikanga, mātauranga, Te Tiriti, and kaitiakitanga.
We value your lived experiences, mātauranga, and strategic lens within te āo Māori. You will learn from each other, your wider cohort, your tuakana, and those you meet while at MfE. You will also:
think critically about problems and explore broadly for solutions steeped in tikanga me te āo Māori
embody whakapapa relationship values to wānanga and influence equitable outcomes
have effective communication skills.
We currently have intern opportunities in the following areas:
Climate Change Mitigation and Resource Efficiency – Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) Policy
Supporting a refresh of our analytical approach to analysing Treaty issues within the Emission Trading Scheme.
Environmental Management and Adaptation (2 roles)
Supporting the delivery of the Māori rights and interests-related mahi on the National Adaptation Framework.
Pillar 1: data and information – application and protection of mātauranga Māori
Pillars 2 and/or 4: how to design local adaptation planning processes, decision making, and cost sharing proposals to provide for the unique features for whenua Māori and cultural assets
Partnerships and Investments
Conducting a review and analysis of the content of a range of closure reports, to support the application and project set up processes and our practice for managing relationships in the future.
Strategy, Stewardship and Performance
This role will focus on contributing to our Pātaka Mātauranga project, where the intern would assist in identifying and collating mātauranga Māori resources across the Ministry. This work not only enhances the visibility and accessibility of Māori knowledge within our decision-making processes but also ensures that we are upholding the mana of mātauranga Māori in the ways that we work. In addition to this, interns may engage with mātauranga and data from their own iwi, offering them a unique opportunity to explore how iwi relationships and perspectives contribute to the Ministry's mātauranga Māori evidence base. This aspect of the internship deepens understanding of how indigenous knowledge informs public sector work, enabling river interns to return to their iwi and hapū with meaningful insights that support iwi aspirations for te taiao.
How to apply:
Apply directly using the online application form. Under the Ethnicity Tab, add your iwi affiliations. Also, under the Diversity section in the Additional information(optional) box enter: ‘River Iwi – and your River Iwi affiliation' (can be more than one), complete the application, submit your CV, and cover letter.
Your cover letter will highlight your whakapapa affiliation to one or more of the River Iwi namely Waikato-Tainui, Raukawa, TARIT (Te Arawa River Iwi Trust) and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Each of the River Iwi conduct their own selection process to choose an intern for placement at MfE. If you affiliate to more than one River Iwi, choose one Iwi to be included as part of their selection process.
Further Information:
For internship queries email: sally.morison@mfe.govt.nz or River Iwi registration queries contact your River Iwi Trust authority:
Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (TARIT) - admin@tarit.co.nz or phone 07 3463915
Waikato-Tainui - recruitment@tainui.co.nz or phone 0800 TAINUI - 0800 824684
Ngāti Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board - info@tuwharetoa.co.nz or phone 07 3765086
Te Nehenehenui - PATAI@TNN.CO.NZ or phone 0800 668285
Raukawa - Environment@raukawa.org.nz or Raukawa-Iwi-Registration-23.pdf or phone 0800 RAUKAWA - 0800 7285292
Please Note: This is a paid internship at $28.95 per hour. Your iwi will make the intern selection and provide this information to MfE.
Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand and be available to work in Wellington (relocation at own cost) from Monday 24 November 2025 through to Friday 13 February 2026.
Applications close off Sunday 7th September 2025 at 11.59pm
