“Humble, steadfast and confidently Maori”

Off Grid Native, Jamie Watson is humble, steadfast and confidently Māori, a Kaitiaki (caretaker) for Ngāti Tamatera, Hauraki. His cultural values are consistent with those of his hapu and the other 11 surrounding hapu of Hauraki. Jamie’s practice is centred around matapono (values) of his tupuna, matapono that are traditional to Te Ao Māori and assumed as being universal within indigenous settings. These matapono are Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Pono, Tika and Kotahitanga and are practiced at all levels of engagement within Te Ao Māori, whānau, hapu and iwi, ensuring the application of these matapono from grass roots to strategic and visionary engagement levels. Off Grid native, Jamie is a storyteller and uses his taonga of whakapapa, purākau, connection to Hauraki whenua, ngā taonga takaro (Traditional Māori games) and ngā taonga pūoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) to share matauranga (knowledge) Māori with whānau, hapu and iwi of both Hauraki, Aotearoa and on an international platform, e.g., Jamie is engaged with Arramat an organisation focused on strengthening Health and Wellbeing through indigenous led conversation and sustainable relationships with diversity. (Aramut, 2022) and through this engagement is part of an indigenous exchange, in Canada, planned for the end of September 2022.
Jamie is involved at all levels of whānau, hapu and iwi development, within Hauraki. Through these involvements he articulates the voice of the whānau through his set wānanga delivery style, that is whānau led and driven by both whānau and Jamie. This style of delivery ensures the retention of Hauraki authenticity, protecting taonga, by ensuring these taonga are shared with ngā uri o Hauraki and passed down to ngā mokopuna o Hauraki (future generations). Jamie has a strong whānau and Te Ao Māori foundation, this foundation has a strong influence on the decisions and actions Jamie makes pertaining to how he engages with whānau, hapu and iwi and mainstream stakeholders. This foundation is inherent in the matapono that Jamie practices daily.
Off Grid Native is the “living off grid creation” of Jamie’s, that across a multitude of sectors within Hauraki and Te Ao Māori Jamie represents ahi kaa.
Off Grid Native, Jamie has a single branding design based on living off the grid and as a humble Māori innovator he has kept the branding simple and to the point and using the ethos Jamie states on his Facebook page “off grid native teaches you indigenous Maori survival skills and off- grid living. My passion is to share my skills to empower you with freedom and choice. I mix modern technologies and indigenous ways of thinking, a fusion of the two worlds” (Watson, 2022)
Off Grid Native, Jamie sustains what is important to Kaupapa Māori by ensuring the matapono and tikanaga Māori he learned as a child and continues to grow as an adult is shared with ngā uri o Hauraki and whānau whaanui of Aotearoa.
“Te Aroha ki tai, Te Aroha ki uta. My love ebbs with the outflow of the sea where my homeland stand and back inland from whence I have come.” (Nicholls et al., 2016)