Te Waka Kai Ora serves as a voice for Maori on justice issues through research, education and community partnerships. The organisation has an implicit role in meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi to maintain the tino rangatiratanga (absolute authority) and status of tangata whenua (people of the land) as decision makers in national legislation. We believe traditional Maori ecological knowledge and practices are integral to sound resource management and ecosystem protection in Aotearoa (NZ).

The issues of particular concern to Te Waka Kai Ora include: