On 27 December whānau descendants of the late Priscilla Riwai Stone (aka Nana Stone) packed into Wheke for a one week wānaka.
On Sunday 28 December we remembered our tāua by holding an unveiling of her head stone in the Rāpaki urupā, where she rests with her husband David Stone (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata), and her mum Matekino Riwai, the grand-daughter of Toria Mokiho and Riwai Piharo (our 1848 Kaumātua in the Blue Book).
This event was tinged with sadness, as we had lost Tāua Mavis Karena (Nana Stone’s sister), a week before Nana’s unveiling and also their cousin and oldest friend Tāua Myra Manihera, two weeks before that. We were humbled to have the Karena and Manihera whānau join us for this special occasion, as we remembered our three tāua.
Our “Reconnecting the Whānau” wānaka began with the first of several waiata sessions with whānau learning several waiata, including a favourite of our tamariki “Mō tātou” and also our Rāpaki pepeha.
We learnt our whakapapa back to Toria Mokiho. It was a moving experience to see each person, from our mokopuna to our kaumātua, stand and recite both their whakapapa and pepeha.
Reconnecting our whānau at Rāpaki enabled us to hear how Nana and Papa Stone instilled the value of pride in one’s identity in their tamariki and mokopuna. From an early age their tamariki joined Uncle Hori Brennan’s first junior Kapa haka rōpū, Te Whetu Ariki o Kahukura, and performed alongside their Brennan, Manihera, Crofts and Topia cousins at the inaugural Waitaha cultural competitions, started by Tāua Te KiaToa Riwai (Tāua Matekino’s sister) back in the 1960s.
Nana Stone is survived by her 10 children, Mutu, Sheena, Hapeti, Herena, Rita, Matekino, Karl, Clive, Wally and Amber. We were fortunate to have all 10 of them at our wānaka. Between them they have over 50 children, with the count of mokopuna, mokopuna tuarua and mokopuna tuatoru forever climbing.
This wānaka strengthened our whānau ties to Rāpaki, especially for many of us who live outside of Te Waipounamu. It was fulfilling to see our babies surrounded by kōrero, waiata, laughter, all the while learning about our history and whakapapa in the beautiful and peaceful surrounds of our marae.
It was a phenomenal week with amazing food and action packed with swimming, picnics, playing games, mahika kai, passing on whānau recipes for steam pudding, fried bread and parāoa, trips to Kaikōura and Hamner, sightseeing around Christchurch, celebrating New Year’s Eve with our whānau whānui from Rāpaki. The whānau concert was a highlight to round off on our last night.
Our whānau wish to thank Yvette Couch Lewis from our rūnanga office for her ongoing support; all our whanauka who joined us at Rāpaki to share old, and create new memories; and finally to acknowledge the financial support received from the Ngāi Tahu Fund that helped make this Rāpaki wānaka and reunion possible and successful. Kā mihi nui. Nā Jeni-leigh Stone-Walker.
February 1984, Nana Stone sitting in the middle of her 10 children.
kia ora to all my whanau,for those who don’t know me I was brought up at Rapaki with my uncle lou and so was my sister liz,My great gran father Barney was toria mokiho’s son,he was brought up by his aunty and uncle at Rapaki rev Tekooti and Elizabeth.Me and my sister didn’t know about this reunion so to all those whanau of mine we send our love
What a wonderful time I had at our Riwai-Stone Wanaka especially to have my daughter Helen Violet Pene there with me, to meet and greet Whanau, she otherwise would not have had the opportunity, whilst living in Australia for the last 34 years. For her and myself to learn our Whakapapa, Pepeha and Kaitahu Waiata was not only fun and enlightening it was many years of yearning, finally coming to fruition. Though it was sad, with Aunty Mavis Karena and Aunty Myra Manihera passing within days of our mother’s Unveiling and Wanaka it was also a time for celebration of our Beautiful mothers Priscilla Stone, Aunty Mavis and Aunty Myra, in life they were all very close and now it seems in death as well. (Aroha Mai R.I.P Beautiful Ladies) Distance nor years have changed the Aroha we have for each of our extended Whanau and coming together has high-lighted this in so many ways. It was also a time for passing the banner to our next generation, this was done with such smooth transition, it was lovely to witness. So many things said and done it was fabulous and I know it would not have been possible without the support of many others, so for this my daughter and I Thank-you all. A Special Thank-you Jeni-Leigh Stone-Walker my Niece, for your lovely write-up on our Reconnecting to Rapaki as this we did indeed! “There is nothing more pleasing to the ear, than the sound of Whanau laughing, singing, eating and learning together”… Rita Stone-Pene 2015.