Indigenous Resistance to Industrial Geothermal: Māori and Native Hawaiian Struggles for Sacred Lands

Posted on Aloha Activism | October 15, 2025

Across the Pacific, indigenous communities are standing firm against the toxic legacy of industrial geothermal energy, fighting to protect sacred lands, waters, and cultural heritage from exploitation. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori hapū challenge projects that poison their waiariki (geothermal pools) and silence their voices through economic coercion. On Hawaiʻi Island, Native Hawaiians rally to defend Pele’s sacred domain from the Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV), rejecting deals that trade ʻāina (land) for profit. Both struggles reveal a shared truth: colonial legacies continue to fuel environmental and cultural destruction under the guise of "green energy."

This blog dives into the real impacts of industrial geothermal, the resistance led by Māori and Native Hawaiians, and the urgent need for justice rooted in indigenous sovereignty.

The Toxic Toll of Industrial Geothermal

Industrial geothermal energy, often sold as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, comes with a heavy cost for indigenous communities. In New Zealand’s Taupō Volcanic Zone and Rotorua, large-scale extraction has depleted sacred geothermal features, released dangerous toxins, and destabilized the land. Similarly, in Hawaiʻi’s Kilauea East Rift Zone, PGV’s operations threaten ecosystems and cultural sites with pollution and desecration. Here’s what’s at stake:

Environmental and Cultural Devastation

**New Zealand’s Vanishing Geysers**: Māori have revered waiariki as taonga (treasures) for centuries, using them for healing, cooking, and ceremonies tied to Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). Yet, industrial geothermal has decimated these sacred sites. In Rotorua, unregulated bores and power plants from the 1950s to 1970s drained underground reservoirs, causing a 30% drop in surface heat flow and the loss of over 100 geysers, including the iconic Pōhutu at Whakarewarewa. At Ohaaki Power Station, land subsidence threatens a local marae (meeting ground), risking flooding and structural collapse. These losses aren’t just environmental—they sever Māori whakapapa (genealogy) and mauri (life force), which view land, water, and people as interconnected.

**Hawaiʻi’s Threatened ʻĀina**: For Native Hawaiians, volcanic landscapes embody Pele, the goddess of fire and creation. PGV’s drilling in Puna disrupts wahi pana (sacred places) and native forests like Wao Kele o Puna. Toxic releases, including hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from a 1991 blowout, have polluted air and groundwater, endangering ecosystems and cultural practices. Both Māori and Native Hawaiians see these impacts as desecration, stripping away the spiritual vitality of their lands.

Health Risks in Indigenous Communities

**Māori Health Impacts**: Living near geothermal fields like Rotorua exposes Māori to toxins like arsenic, mercury, and H₂S. A spatial analysis found a significantly higher risk of noninfectious respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD, linked to chronic H₂S exposure. Arsenic in geothermal fluids, sometimes 500 times above WHO drinking water limits, accumulates in soil and food chains, raising cancer risks. A 2020 study incorporating Māori perspectives noted fears for whānau (family) health, emphasizing that economic benefits must not come at the cost of community well-being.

**Native Hawaiian Health Concerns**: In Puna, community reports document respiratory issues, headaches, and skin irritations tied to PGV’s emissions. A 2019 University of Hawaiʻi study flagged H₂S and heavy metals as understudied risks, particularly for Native Hawaiians, who make up a significant portion of nearby residents. Both regions suffer from a lack of comprehensive, independent health studies, leaving communities to navigate anecdotal evidence and distrust. In 2025 they are still being poisoned daily with no cares in the world and no regulating from the authorities in place to saf3guard the community.

The "Bought and Paid For" Divide

While some indigenous groups engage with geothermal projects for economic gain, grassroots resistance highlights a troubling pattern: corporations and governments exploit colonial legacies—land loss, poverty, and fractured leadership—to secure support through financial incentives. This "bought and paid for" critique reveals deep divisions, just like they do in Hawaiʻi.

Māori: Economic Deals vs. Grassroots Resistance

In Aotearoa, some iwi (tribes) like Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Te Arawa have embraced geothermal partnerships, such as co-ownership of Kawerau or Tauhara plants, secured through Treaty of Waitangi settlements. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets Trust, for example, channels millions in revenue to community projects. Yet, this can silence dissent from smaller hapū (sub-tribes) who face the direct impacts—subsidence at Ohaaki, toxic contamination, or geyser loss. Critics argue that energy companies and the Crown exploit historical land disputes and economic vulnerabilities, offering lucrative deals to select iwi entities while sidelining grassroots voices. The Resource Management Act mandates Māori consultation, but hui (community meetings) reveal it’s often tokenistic, bypassing true kaitiakitanga (guardianship). A 2020 study on Māori environmental values noted that dissenters are labeled "anti-progress," marginalizing their calls to protect sacred taonga over short-term profits.

Case Studies in Māori Resistance

Māori resistance to geothermal development has a long history, often manifesting through legal claims, community actions, and advocacy to reclaim rangatiratanga (authority) over sacred resources. These cases highlight the ongoing fight against environmental degradation and cultural loss:

**Ohaaki Geothermal Power Plant (Waikato Region, 1989–Ongoing)**: Sponsored by the government and operated by Contact Energy, this project caused severe land subsidence (about 3.5 meters), leading to flooding from the Waikato River that impacted local Māori communities, including marae. Affected hapū from trusts like Tauhara North No. 2 formed the Ohaaki Marae Working Party in 2003 to address the issues. Despite efforts, subsidence persisted for over 30 years, forcing the relocation of the Ohaaki Marae in 2009. This case fueled broader apprehension toward future developments, prompting demands for better technology and reservoir management to prevent similar harms.

**Kawerau Geothermal Area (1954–2013)**: Land was seized from local hapū under the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company Enabling Act 1954 for industrial use, resulting in pollution that turned a thriving geothermal lake into a hazardous site. Hapū resisted through expressions of grief and calls for restoration, emphasizing that economic benefits like jobs failed to offset cultural traumas. The area was returned in 2013, but ongoing concerns about pollution and resource degradation persist, with efforts focusing on well-being indicators for natural, cultural, and social recovery.

**Te Arawa Geothermal Claims (WAI 153, 1993)**: Lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal, this claim addressed the Crown's taking of geothermal lands, resource use, and restrictions on Māori access in the Rotorua and Taupō areas. The tribunal recommended policy reforms, recognizing certain geothermal features as taonga under hapū control. Outcomes included stronger advocacy for kaitiakitanga in management, influencing later co-governance models, though full implementation remains contested.

**Wairakei Power Station (Taupō Volcanic Zone, 1950s–Ongoing)**: Early unregulated development caused subsidence, loss of geysers, and flooding near sacred sites, sparking distrust among Māori landowners. Resistance led to resource consent conditions requiring damage repairs and monitoring. This paved the way for partnerships in later projects, but highlighted the need for reinjection technologies to mitigate impacts.

**National Freshwater and Geothermal Resources Claim (WAI 2358, 2022–Ongoing)**: In response to proposed reforms replacing the Resource Management Act, Māori claimants questioned the erosion of Treaty rights and consistency with indigenous principles.This ongoing inquiry underscores resistance to legislative changes that could further undermine Māori guardianship over geothermal resources.

These cases demonstrate a shift from historical powerlessness to structured legal and community-led resistance, often leveraging the Waitangi Tribunal to demand equitable and culturally sensitive development.

https://www.nzgeothermal.org.nz/downloads/Maori-view-on-health-and-well-being-of-Rotorua-Geothermal-System-Porter-et-al-2020.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawNdBA5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHgKZp6apv8_N-F67m54OWlrIK7r4xKZmFujBIOGaqH6qsz5jdviOIRqPidKG_aem_smiy1OrTg5za9CpFK3n5og

Native Hawaiians: Pele’s Defenders vs. Co-opted Support

In Hawaiʻi, the Puna Geothermal Venture has faced fierce opposition since the 1980s, led by groups like the Pele Defense Fund. Native Hawaiians view PGV’s drilling as a direct affront to Pele, compounded by toxic leaks and environmental harm. Despite this, some organizations, like the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), have negotiated with PGV for royalties or cultural program funding, mirroring Māori iwi trusts. Grassroots activists, including leaders like Pua Case, reject these deals as "selling out" to developers like Ormat Technologies. A 2020 survey showed 70% of Puna residents—many Native Hawaiian—oppose PGV expansion, citing distrust in corporate promises. Blockades, lawsuits, and 2024-2025 rallies tie this resistance to broader anti-colonial movements, such as Mauna Kea protections, echoing Māori hapū invoking Treaty rights.

Shared Themes: Colonial Legacies and Tokenism

The parallels between Māori and Native Hawaiian resistance are striking, rooted in shared experiences of colonization and resource theft:

**Tokenism in Consultation**: Both Māori and Native Hawaiian protocols demand deep, meaningful engagement, yet companies often settle for superficial meetings with state-aligned bodies (e.g., OHA or iwi trusts). This ignores broader community sentiment, violating Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles.

**Economic Coercion**: Poverty in indigenous communities makes financial incentives—jobs, royalties—hard to resist, even when long-term costs like pollution or cultural loss outweigh benefits. PGV employs locals, but critics argue these jobs don’t justify Pele’s desecration or health risks, just as Māori hapū question trading geysers for revenue.

,*Data Gaps Fuel Distrust**: Both regions lack robust, independent studies on geothermal’s long-term impacts, forcing communities to rely on anecdotal evidence or underfunded research. This amplifies distrust in developers and governments pushing "green" narratives.

Resistance and Hope: Reclaiming Indigenous Sovereignty

Despite these challenges, Māori and Native Hawaiian resistance is a powerful call for justice. In Aotearoa, hapū are pushing for stronger Treaty-based vetoes and co-governance models that prioritize reinjection and monitoring to reduce toxins. Some advocate for small-scale, community-led geothermal projects—such as heating marae—to honor kaitiakitanga without industrial excess. In Hawaiʻi, the Pele Defense Fund and leaders like Pua Case demand moratoriums on PGV expansion, stricter EPA oversight, and cultural impact assessments that center Pele. Recent 2025 protests, amplified on platforms like X, show growing momentum for alternatives like solar, which avoid geothermal’s cultural and environmental toll.

A Call to Action

The fight against industrial geothermal is more than a local issue—it’s a global indigenous struggle to protect sacred lands from colonial extraction disguised as progress. For Native Hawaiians and Māori, the path forward lies in amplifying grassroots voices, demanding true FPIC, and building sustainable energy models that respect ʻāina and taonga. We at Aloha Activism stand in solidarity with these efforts, urging our community to:

**Support Resistance Movements**: Amplify Māori and Native Hawaiian voices through platforms like the 'A'OLE PGV FB group , the truth for the people hawaii geothermal forums, or any other local cpmmunity led hui .

**Demand Transparency**: Push for independent health and environmental studies to expose geothermal’s true costs.

**Reimagine Energy**: Advocate for indigenous-led renewables that prioritize cultural and ecological integrity over corporate profit.

Join us in honoring Pele, Papatūānuku, and the ancestors by protecting our sacred lands. Share this story, join the rallies, and let’s build a future where aloha ʻāina and kaitiakitanga guide us toward true sustainability.

Aloha always

Mālama 'aina

Jazzy

KahuPuna

Aloha Activism

*Mahalo for reading, and stay tuned for updates on how we can support indigenous resistance at wearepuna.wixsite.com/aloha-activism.*

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*Sources: Academic studies, environmental reports, and community submissions cited in original text, including health analyses from Rotorua (2020), University of Hawaiʻi (2019), and Treaty of Waitangi claims documentation.*