Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara

The second whānau hui will be held on Sunday 26 February at the 24d Marine Parade, Petone, Lower Hutt (the Wellington Tenths Trust offices). Following suggestions given by whānau last year, the programme will include te reo practise, waiata practise, kai and a session that will be covering some of the issues currently occurring for Ngāi Tahu, such as the election of the Kaiwhakahaere.

We hope to also have support from the office there. Dates planned for other whānau hui this yearare Sunday 28 May and Sunday 27 August. Whānau are encouraged to contact each other via our Facebook page. If you are not on the page, please join: Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara; and feel free to invite the whānau to join you in activities. Contact Karen Coutts on 027 365 3993 or email [email protected]

Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki

Ko te manu e kai i te miro nōna te ngahere, Ko te manu e kai i te mātauranga nōna te ao.

E rere ngā manu tātāriki, ngā manu mātārae.
Tīhoihoi ana te kōwetewete mai a mātiti.
Whakanui tonu ana ēnei manutaki o Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe.
Kākahutia e te kōpuni tauwhāinga hei tohu rangatira.
Tiaho mai i te uma o Ranginui.
Tau ana!

Māoridom gathered at Victoria University to celebrate the graduation of future academics and leaders. Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe were well represented with the student speaker Nicola Grace sharing her experience and journey as a student and advocate of hauora. The Taurahere of the Wellington region congratulate you all.

Mā te pakiaka tū ai te rākau pou matua, huihui ai ngā manu.

Three generations of Ngāi Tahu joined in Te Hui Whakapūmau 2016, Victoria University Graduation. Dr Lynne Russell of Ngāi Tahu has worked for many years in suicide prevention and health.

A proud day indeed with the graduation of her daughter Mereana. Mereana’s tamariki played a special part in the graduation ceremony when her whānau joined Mum on the red carpet.

‘E hine, kāore e kore e tiaho mai te whetū i te rangi, hei tohu hākoa o tō pāpā, tiaho tonu mai e Kō.’

Kāti rā, kia kaha, kia māia koutou katoa kia piki ake i te poutama o te mātauranga.
Kia whakahā i te whai ao, kia pā atu ki te tāpuhipuhitanga o te Toi ahurewa.
Kia eke panuku
kia eke Tangaroa
Haumi e
Hui e
Tāiki e.

Ngāi/Kāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau Inc.

Ngāi/Kāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau Inc. presents our ongoing executive team re-elected at the annual general meeting (Hui-ā-Tau) held at Ponsonby Community Centre on 13 August.

• Kaumātua – Kukupa Tirikatene
• Kaumātua – Ronald [Bones] Rissetto
• President – Riki Robert Kohi
• President Junior – Jonathon Sarjgisson
• Secretary – Meri Kohi
• Secretary Assistant – Brian How
• Treasurer – Mereana Silbery
• Treasurer Assistant – Linda Williams.

All meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month. All executive meetings are held every alternate month at 20 Rembrandt Place Papakura.

All committee meetings are held at different venues every alternate month. Please see the dates below for details on our upcoming committee meetings.

• 8 October 2016 – Te Atatu
• 10 December 2016 – TBC
• 11 February 2017 – TBA
• 8 April 2017 – TBA
• 10 June 2017 – TBA
• 12 August 2017 – TBA (Annual general meeting)

Please see the dates below for details on our upcoming executive meetings.

Executive meetings will all held be at head office 20 Rembrandt Place, Papakura. Committee members are welcome to attend the second Saturday alternate month.

• 12 November 2016
• 14 January 2017
• 11 March 2017
• 13 May 2017
• 8 July 2017
• 12 August 2017

Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara

Hui-ā-Whānau Tuatahi
Date: Sunday 6 November 2016
Time: 10am – 2.30pm
Venue: To be confirmed (please check Facebook for details).

Nau mai, haere mai!
Whānau of Ngāi Tahu within the Wellington region are warmly invited to attend this hui which will be the first of many regular hui that will allow us, as Ngāi Tahu, to engage with and learn from each other, to foster our whakapapa links and to strengthen our cultural connections.

Anyone young and old may join – please do not be deterred if you feel you do not know much about the Māori world or Ngāi Tahu, or if you have never been to a hui before.

Come as you are and be a part of a supportive, relaxed environment as we explore our cultural heritage and get to know one another. Everyone belongs and is welcome!

At this hui we will be learning about the ties we have as Ngāi Tahu to the Wellington region, and our migration to the area from the North, as well as waiata practice and other activities.

Future hui we will be exploring various kaupapa, and we would love your input as to what you’d like us to focus on as a group. There will also be resources and information available about the many life-enriching benefits, from financial to cultural, to be gained by engaging with your iwi, Ngāi Tahu.

The Facebook page puts you in touch with the whānau who are organising the hui – or check out the information in Te Pānui Rūnaka.

For more details, to register for this hui or just to stay in touch, please visit our Facebook page: Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Nā Karen Coutts.

Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki me Horowhenua

Nei rā a mihi rāua ko aroha e rere ana ki a koutou o te haukāika, Ōtākou, Huirapa ki Puketeraki, Moeraki, e manaaki nei i kā manuhiri o te motu mō te hui-ā-iwi o Kāi Tahu. He tohu o te rakatira ko te manaaki.

Ko te rerehua, ko te waiwaiā, ko te rakinamu, ko te wainene, ko te ātaahua ko ēnei kupu katoa e whakaatu ana i te wairua o te hui-ā-iwi o Kāi Tahu. E kā uri o Tahu, maraka, maraka.

Upcoming hui
We’ll be meeting again in the New Year, so check your inboxes for hui times. Aoraki Matatū. Nā Emma Whiterod.

Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau

Congratulations
Last Kirihimete, Ashlee Shay Orbell, 8 received a new paihikara (bicycle). She decided there and then to enter into the Weetbix Tryathalon.

Unfortunately, the day before the event, Ashlee took sick and was unable to compete. However, another Tryathalon was to be held on the North Shore, so entry forms were forwarded for that event. It turned out to be a tinopai day with over 3,000 children participating. It was well organised, with the different age groups setting off in an orderly fashion.

The events were swimming, biking, and running, finishing with the presentation of a competitors medal. There were many giveaways and prizes. Ashlee started with smile and ended the event the same way.

Ashlee also plays a mean game of hockey for her Mt Eden club. She has won Player of the Day frequently, and in a previous game scored four goals in one game. We do believe, she thinks it is a tewhatewha (long axe-shaped club), not a hockey stick. Ashlee enjoys participating in sport and also plays tennis and swimming in the summer. She is a mokopuna of Jock and Lorna Orbell and a great-great-great-granddaughter of Rora Orbell, Kaumātua 428. Nā Jack Orbell.

Public notice
The annual general meeting of Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau will be held at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae at Manukau Institute of Technology, North Campus, Gate 12, Otara Road, on 9 August. The pōwhiri begins at 9am and the annual general meeting will begin at 11am in the wharenui.

Thanks
They say education is the enemy of poverty and with the support of Ngāi Tahu I have enriched my life through study and I now have a Bachelor’s degree in creative arts from Manukau Institute of Technology. I have also become a positive role model for my tamariki. At the moment I am working as a mental health support worker and am looking at setting up my own business, Toimanawa.com. I would like to say a big thank you to Ngāi Tahu for all the support I received from the Kā Pūtea grant scheme and a big shout out to the Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau whānau for all the wonderful wānanga and tautoko. Ka tipu te whaihanga. Mauri ora. Nā Maha Te Hape Tomo.

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Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki me Horowhenua

E rere ana te mihi mahana i tēnei te wā makariri o Māruaroa, o Toru.

Tamariki achievements
These tamariki mokopuna of the Paahi/Tirikatene/Momo/Solomon whānau all received player of the day within the space of one week for their rugby teams. Nukuroa Rikihana and Te Wai Kāhua Paki are in the Under 9 Rāhui team and Manawanui Rikihana is in the Under 8 Rāhui team. Their tāua and pōua, Amiria and Don, were very proud. E tū Tūāhuriri.

Te Papa Tongarewa
Many of our whānau attended the opening of the Ngāti Toa Rangatira exhibition at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand. It was a wonderful occasion in many ways not least, the mass haka outside the museum to mark the beginning of Ngāti Toa’s time at Te Papa. Ka roko ā kākau, ā tīnana, ā wairua i te ihi, te wehi, te wana. Our Pōua Kukupa was a Kāi Tahu kanohi on the pae. His presence was a great example of hūmārie and manaakitaka.

Hui
Our hui will be held at 11am 13 July, Tū Roa kōhanga reo. Nau mai, hara mai.
If you don’t think you’re on our email list, send me an email and I’ll add you [email protected].

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Kāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana

Things were buzzing at our recent hui and that’s without everything that guest speaker Whetu Moataane, Ngāi Tahu Iwi Communications Advisor from Christchurch came to speak about.

Any bunch of whānui gathered together soon make it apparent what things are going on. Our Taurahere rōpū now number 16 (including Australia) and represent the majority of Ngāi Tahu hapū. They are forever discovering themselves and with this awakening, are always trying to get Ngā Tahutanga started in their patch. Things we currently have on the boil here include thinking about how we fit in with and tautoko/tono local iwi, who graciously host us in their rohe; how we can provide for the hosting of Tā Mark’s latest Roadshow; and how we can develop a more supportive and mutually beneficial relationship with our parent body, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Anna Were has gathered a rōpū of 15 for a ‘down south hīkoi’ and is busily compiling information that will inform those lucky enough to be going. It will be a trip of a lifetime. Michael Bosman is still chasing hard for information pursuant of the family history mahi that he’s doing as a university project. Chair Huey Rurehe and Laurie Loper have their heads together over an education project they hope to get off the ground. Ex-chair Annis Somerville reported on her visit to Ireland to see her new moko. Fred Newton, looking well, said he swam 40 laps the other day. Some of the buzz in our rōpū must be catching, as we continue to attract new faces and we once again experience that ‘two-degrees-of-separation’ phenomenon.

News that Uncle Terry Ryan is about to visit us again was welcomed; and kaumātua Joe Briggs continues to show his commitment to our rōpū. He always has a couple of things on the boil. The latest includes being to the fore in getting things ‘regularised’ on the pūtea front. He is also busy thinking about how we can support the Tauranga Boys’ College in their wish to add a whare kai to their marae complex. We heard from Whetu about things that are happening down South (Whai Rawa, training programmes, etc); and chair Huey thanked Whetu and provided him with a memento of his visit. It was an enjoyable hui for everyone. Nā Laurie Loper.

Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki me Horowhenua

Ka rere kā mihi ki kā mate puta noa i te motu, mai i Muriwhenua tae noa ki Murihiku. Ki tō mātou pito o te ao, ko Harina Raureti-Cooper tērā i karakahia e Tahu Kumea, e Tahu Whakairo. Koia tērā e poipoia kā tamariki o tēnei rohe. Moe mai rā e te manukura, hoki atu ki ōu tīpuna.

E ōku whanauka e noho ana ki raro i kā pae mauka o Tararua, ki te taha o te awa o Ōtaki, nei rā te mihi. Huri noa ki tō tātou iwi, ki te iwi Māori whānui, tēnā koutou katoa. [Read more…]

Kāi Tahu Ki Ōtaki

In this month’s article for Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki we are profiling one of our special tāua, who is a poutokomanawa for our rōpū here in Ōtaki.

Mary Clare Bradshaw was born at 11 Ann Street in Bluff on 20 September 1936 to Agnes and Charles Huia Bradshaw. Her grandparents on her Dad’s side were Ellen Bradshaw (nee Harwood) and Charles Huia Bradshaw (from Bluff); and on her Mum’s side, Thomas and Mary O’Neil. Mary has an older sister, Joan, and an older brother, Neil. Mary and her whānau are Kāti Rakiamoa and belong to Te Rau Aroha Marae. She was schooled at St Theresa Primary School in Bluff and then at St Catherine’s College in Invercargill. Mary has fond memories of gatherings at ‘The Māori House,’ where Aunty Ngawara and Uncle Norman Bradshaw would teach action songs and haka.

In 1957, Mary married Henry Williams (Muaupoko) in Bluff and they went on to have four children – Donna, Marianna, Sterling and Clare. As tamariki they all went to ‘Waitaha Hall’ to learn action songs and haka from Aunty Celia and Uncle Bill Ramati. Twenty years ago, Mary and Henry left Bluff to move to Ōtaki, where all of their children lived. However, Mary still thinks of Bluff as her home. As well as her four children, Mary has fifteen grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren with one more on the way. Mary enjoys getting together with the Kāi Tahu ki Ōtaki rōpu and hopes it will continue to grow and prosper. E te Tāua, e Mary, he mihi aroha ki a koe.

Contacts
If you don’t think you’re on our email list, flick me an email: [email protected]

Ngāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana

First hui
On a warm Sunday afternoon, a small group of whānau gathered at the Tauranga Boys’ College wharenui for our first catch-up of the year. Huey Rurehe, chair, opened the meeting and we heard from Uncle Joe on various items he has been working through for the whānau. The planning for our trip south in October is going really well and each time we meet we have progressed further. It’s going to be a great trip.

We welcomed Shona Morris as a new member of the whānau – it’s always great to have more whānau come on board. Thanks for making the time to come along Shona and we hope to see a lot more of you.

Brian and Haina’s mokopuna came along with the biggest smiles, masses of enthusiasm and the nicest manners; and they joined in with us “older ones,” in some fun lessons in basic haka led by Huey Rurehe. Our next hui is our annual general meeting, which will be held on Sunday 27 April, at 1pm at Tauranga Boys’ College wharenui. We hope to have a special guest speaker from Ngāi Tahu in Christchurch. At this stage it is in the planning and we can’t confirm yet. If you have been thinking you would like to come along to a hui (we have 5-6 per year), now would be a great time.

If you have any queries, please contact Uncle Joe Briggs on 07 578 5997. We welcome all whānau.

Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau

A tribute to Charlie Boy
Kāi Tahu whānau ki Tāmaki Makaurau have loved this wonderful little Shetland pony, Charlie Boy for the last eight years. He’s brought joy and pleasure to our tamariki as one of the attractions at our annual Waitangi Day celebrations.

Thank you so much Charlie Boy for the many rides that you gave our children. You had a calm and peaceful nature and you made our children feel so safe. This year the children missed you Charlie Boy – they remembered you and asked where you were because they enjoyed being with you. But sadly Charlie, you were taken during a very heavy storm and you were unable to make it. You will always be fondly remembered and sadly missed. Thanks and farewell Charlie Boy. And Vicky, we give you our love and support, and thanks for all those times you have driven Charlie Boy over to us here in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Kāi Tahu ki Whakatāne

Pounamu hui
Our recent pounamu hui was held on 24-25 August at Ngāti Pūkeko Marae at Poroporo, Whakatāne. We were blessed with a perfect first day and the weekend was a fun and informative time for our rōpū, and also a great chance to meet other Kāi Tahu descendants living in our rohe.

It was a weekend to remember, thanks to our hard working committee and our guest speakers from Auckland and Te Puke. The Ngāi Tahu Fund contribution which made it all possible.
Nā Pauline Cottrell.

Hui report
In August Ngāi Tahu ki Whakatāne whānau were welcomed onto Ngāti Pūkeko Marae by Joe and Bunty Mason. The hui was here was because Sandra and Bradford (Brad) Haami have strong connections to the marae and Dr Maaka (Kāi Tahu) served people here his whole life and we wanted to honour his Kāi Tahu connection.

Alongside Brad, Whetu Moataane from the Office of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu spoke on the marae to answer Joe’s whaikōrero.

After the hariru we all had morning tea in the whare kai followed by a group photo. A whakawhanaukataka session was opened by Uncle Joe with a karakia.

Around 60 people arrived to share their whānau lineages. Some people were looking for their Kāi Tahu links but may have not been Kāi Tahu but more Ngāi Kuia and Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri, or Ngāti Koata. Without the whakapapa unit there, it was hard to confirm their identities as Kāi Tahu but we asked them to stay with us in aroha and manaaki.

After lunch, Whetu updated everyone on Kāi Tahu business and gave out registration forms. He was able to answer the people’s questions on identity and business including queries about Whai Rawa. Brad then shared a session on identity and gave a broad outline of the origins of Kāi Tahu from Te Waka o Aoraki and the canoes like Huruhurumanu, Uruao, Araiteuru and then the migration of Tukete; and also the Paikea (Tahupōtiki and Whatiuateramaama lines) people from the east coast including Ngāi Tahu migrations with Tūāhuriri, Tūtekawa, Maru to the south.

Brad also gave us the origin stories of pounamu, which was earmarked as a theme for the gathering. The South Island stories of Hinetuahoanga, Poutini and Tamaahua with his wives were told and connections were made to the local stories in Mataatua. The customs around gathering stone and current Kāi Tahu/Māwhera pounamu-owning rights were shared.

Cherry Tapurau (Kāi Tahu), who lives in Rotorua, shared her working pounamu session on the atea in the sun. She shared her history with the stone and gave a summary of the process of grinding and shaping the stone, and tying bindings to taonga. She showed two beautiful mere pounamu she had made. Others shared their histories with pounamu and also about the mōkihi, which was used to carry the stone down the rivers. People were really drawn to the kaupapa.

On our second day, everyone present went to The Heads at the mouth of the Whakatāne River to see Hinetuahoanga Rock, the largest grindstone/sandstone in Aotearoa. Kaumātua Joe Mason told the local story of the rock and Kāi Tahu whānau were pretty overwhelmed. We saw the biggest stationary hōanga stone in New Zealand at the heads called Hinetuahoanga.

Nā Bradford Haami.

 

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Kāi Tahu Ki Ōtaki

E ngā uri o Tahu, tēnā tātou.
Tēnei te reo mihi ki a tātou i te puaka o Kana.

Mahi toi
Kei te haere tonu kā mahi kōwhaiwhai. We continue with our kōwhaiwhai kaupapa, under Matene Climie’s (Bluff whānau) guidance. Our tamariki have revealed themselves as the ultimate artists – creative, uninhibited and keen students – kei ruka noa atu koutou. Our major panel will be completed over the next 2-3 hui.

Last month Amiria Carkeek (Bluff whānau) exhibited a hieke/rain cape she created in her first year of Toi Whakarākai studies. The hieke sat alongside other artwork from Te Wānanga o Raukawa students and staff in the Ōtaki Library art space, Ngā Purapura. Amiria used the following materials in the production of her stunning hieke: jute, harakeke, muka, pūkeko feathers and commercial dye. Ka mutu pea te ātaahua o tō mahi, Amiria.

Ngā kōrero hauora
After 12 years of dialysis Johanna Williams had a kidney transplant on 4 September. Johanna is the eldest mokopuna of Mary Clare (née Bradshaw) and Henry Williams formerly of Bluff, and the eldest child of Mariana Williams and Mathew Wilson. The whānau would like to send love and blessings to the donor for their generosity and selfless act of giving life to our grand-daughter, daughter, mother, sister, auntie and friend. There are no words to express our gratitude and aroha to you for your act of giving and aroha, you will be forever in our prayers and thoughts. Aroha nui, nā te whānau.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau

Annual general meeting
Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau (Inc) are holding their annual general meeting on Saturday 5 October at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae, MIT, Gate 12 Otara Road at 11am. Pōwhiri will be held on Friday 4 October at 5pm.

This will be followed by our kaumātua Kukupa Tirikatene teaching his Ngā Tapuae (level tuatahi) Te Reo wānanga, integrated with karakia and waiata. This will be continued on the Saturday morning before the AGM, and is likely to continue again after the AGM on the Saturday afternoon and on the Sunday morning.Poroporoaki will follow on the Sunday afternoon. Nau mai haere mai whānau. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of our highly knowledgeable and esteemed kaumātua. Please contact Sue Nicoll at [email protected] or 021 113 3777 for more information or to register.

New membership applications
Our Auckland taurahere rōpū, Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau (Inc) would like to announce that we are now incorporated as a society, and warmly invite applications for membership from all those of Ngāi Tahu (and Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) descent living in and around the greater Auckland region, who may not yet be registered with us as a taurahere rōpū. Becoming a registered society is a significant milestone and is a tribute to the hard work of all those involved, and those who have supported our mahi from afar. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

Committee members of our rōpū gather every second month to review items and plan for upcoming events and all members are welcome. The executive committee meet in between each of these meetings. This is an exciting time for us with various events, hui and wānanga coming up – and as always, we are really keen to have as many whānau involved as possible. We welcome your contributions and feedback on what we do, and how we do it. So come on whānau, get involved. Mauri ora.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Te Matau a Mauī

Ngā mate
We acknowledge the passing of our Ngāi Tahu whanaunga, Daniel Wakefield Snr (Wekepiri whānau), George Flood, Mrs Natalie Hawkins (Tini whānau) and Damian Rapana Williams (Moa whānau). Moe mai rā, moe mai rā, moe mai i tō moenga roa.

Ngāi Tahu Migration stories and Waiata
On the strength of our first wānanga, we carried on with our kaupapa of whanaungatanga and held another at EIT Te Manga Māori, Te Whanganui o Ōrotu (Napier). Back in the day Ōrotu was a principal chief of Ahuriri (Napier), and was the father of Whatumamoe, whose descendants were later to become the Ngāti Māmoe of Banks Peninsula.

We had a successful turnout of Ngāi Tahu whānau whānui who came to learn the waiata – Manu Tiria, Ka Haea Te Ata and Ka Kitea – and to share their stories of their Ngāi Tahu grandparents. Photographs and whakapapa held us all in good stead over the two-day wānanga, with wonderful manaaki from our ringawera, Mrs Beverley Akurangi and whānau.

Once again we were fortunate to have the gracious Arapata Reuben from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu whakapapa unit. There was never a dull moment, as whānau kept him busy with questions and queries, an overview of the 1848 Blue Book and whānau whakapapa stories. Kia mau te wehi taku whanaunga a Arapata. Mihi ora, mihi mahana ki a koe.

Last but not least, we thank the Ngāi Tahu ki Te Matau a Māui whānau whānui, our hard working steering group (Bruce Wakefield, Koro Te Whaiti, Thelma Manaena, Beverley and Zayana Akurangi), the Ngāi Tahu Fund and Whetu Moataane for their awhi (support) of our taurahere. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Areas of Interest
From these wānanga, our whānau identified three areas of interest (along with our whakapapa and migration stories), that we will be focusing on over the next months. These areas are rangatahi/tamariki activities, te reo wānanga and waiata/kapa haka. If any whānau with strengths in these areas – or any other area under our taurahere kaupapa – are keen to run a wānanga, please contact me on 022 392 7929 or 06 211 0943 to leave a message. Nā Thelma Manaena.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Taranaki

Ngā mate
Ngā mihi nui ki ngā whanaunga Kāi Tahu.
My husband, Patrick Kume Hina of Ngā Rauru descent, sadly passed away in Hospice Whanganui on the 22 May 2013.

My husband was my biggest supporter and he was instrumental in helping me when I started the Ngāi Tahu ki Taranaki Waitangi Day event in 2009, and in making possible every Waitangi Day celebration after.

He worked tirelessly during those Waitangi Day events at Ashley Park, Waitōtara. He helped with cooking the hāngī, with security, setting up the tents, posting the signs around the area, welcoming the manuhiri and always making everyone smile. At the end of the events, he tidied up every single piece of paper on the ground and he removed all rubbish. He made the events work for everyone who attended. ( I also thank Ngāi Tahu for financial support received for staging our Waitangi Day events).

My husband was my backbone and I miss him so much. Patrick was in the New Zealand Army for 19 years. His regiment number was AT34022 and he was in 5WWCT Battalion. L/CPL. Nā Virginia Hina.

Kāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau

Kāi Tahu whānau ki Tāmaki Makaurau Hui-ā-Tau 2011

Another successful Hui-ā-Tau was held the weekend of 26-28 October. A big thank you from the committee to all those who had a part in making it a success. Thank you to our whānau from Te Waipounamu for coming and sharing with us; Andrew from Whai Rawa, Kirsty with matua Terry from the Whakapapa Unit. Our thoughts were with Kirsty as she travelled back after receiving some very sad news. Not forgetting Puamiria and Whetu’s practice of Manu Tiria. We are slowly getting there. Maha shared his artwork with us all and Jonny provided outdoor activities for everyone, especially the children. Again I had the opportunity to work with the young ones making putiputi. Gabriel came along to do diabetes and gout screening, a programme that is being run for the Otago University.

Maha did painting with the tamariki and resin taonga making with the adults and rangatahi.

Brian How spoke about the process of becoming an incorporated society, and where we are at. We needed to have whānau support to adopt the constitution in its draft form and send off to the incorporated societies. A historical moment for Kāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau. To the ringawera and helpers, they deserve a great big thank you for the wonderful healthy meals they provided throughout the weekend. Without them a hui is never complete as feeding the manuhiri and whānau is the most important part of any hui.

There were many new faces and many of the regulars missing. This gave everyone time to catch up with each other and get to know the new people who attended this year.

I had the privilege to drive Tā Tipene O’Regan, Mark Solomon, and Whaea Ranui to a farewell function at Paeroa, at Te Pae o Hauraki Marae, on Saturday 3 November.

What an awesome day, hearing so much history and whakapapa from these knowledgeable people. Some of us are looking forward to going to Ōtautahi for Hui-ā-Iwi.

Nā Sue Nicoll.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Whakatāne

The Whakatāne sun shone its usual fashion on our first Whakapapa hui at Ngāti Pukeko Marae in Poroporo on 6 and 7 October. We were welcomed and made to feel very much home by Bunty and Jo Mason.

A big thank you to the expertise of Terry Ryan on whakapapa and stories of tūpuna and Joseph Hullen’s historical input on hapū and tūpuna. They also stayed up till the early hours of Sunday morning and identified participants’ whānau and hapū links. It was exciting to discover the close whānau, hapū links that we did not know existed before the hui. Also it enabled us to fill in our individual pepeha, our mauka, awa, hapū and tūpuna.

“We could have stayed and listened for a whole week, what a wealth of knowledge Terry has which he shares so willingly.”

The whole weekend was about whanaungatanga, in the whare, the kitchen, learning waiata and mōteatea with Robyn Ciaociao-Parkinson, kanikani zumba style with Kathrine and raranga made by Alice Otimi, with some of our wahine modelling the headwear.

Tītī is a delicacy seldom enjoyed by our rōpu so that was a special treat to finish the weekend with.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana

Ngāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana Hīkoi to Tāmaki Makaurau

By Cherie Semeri

In August, our chairperson Huey Rurehe, and committee member Cherie Semeri had the privilege of traveling to Auckland to meet up with our kaumātua, Uncle Jo Briggs and Auntie Janice Kawe and her husband Ngāti Ranginui chair Brian Kawe. Brian’s contribution to the whaikōrero at Ōrakei was appreciated. It was significant for us to represent Ngāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana as Uncle Joe’s daughter Awhina’s husband, Jack Thatcher was one of the waka captains. Along with whānau from Ōtautahi, taurahere groups from Waikato and Tāmaki Makaurau, we joined the group in support of the waka tapu (sacred canoe) launch held on Ōrakei Marae.

Throught this experience we learned protocol regarding the gifting of the pounamu that was being presented on behalf of Ngāi Tahu. Ensuring they had been blessed (which Uncle Brian Kawe did at our bi-montlhy hui) but also naming each pounamu before it was presented to the crew. Thank you to Ranui Ngarimu and Puamiria Parata-Goodall for ensuring that these things were not missed.

The hand-over of one of the pounamu was undertaken by Aurere Thatcher, Uncle Joe’s moko, who was named after the waka ‘Te Aurere’. It was an honour to have Uncle Kukupa Tirikatene speak on behalf of Ngāi Tahu and always an honour and privilege to sit with Uncle Terry Ryan and hear history and stories of those that have gone before us.

For our representatives of the local Tauranga Moana rōpū, being a part of these significant events encourages us to continue our journey in learning about being Ngāi Tahu.

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Kāi Tahu ki Waikato

Taiaroa’s will power overcomes medical setback.

Taiaroa Witako Te Reimana Tuatini-Love is our little chief who is now seven. He is a boy who lives a medically, challenging and complex life. Early in his life he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and global development delay. During those early years Taiaroa was manageable for us as his parents and whānau.

But numerous medical dilemmas with unknown causes and then many new procedures arose for us. These medical interventions came with a new language, system, hospital protocols and the like. This was the beginning of educating ourselves and setting up our lives for our son’s medical needs.

We are Taiaroa’s full time caregivers, this is our world. Taiaroa has had numerous hospital admissions, outpatient appointments, surgeries, medical tests, and equipment assigned to him. Also we have met many doctors, specialists, nurses and other community services through this journey.

The familiar hospital procedures have become normal routine (his papa knows the best hospital car parks and cafes).

In 2009 we left Christchurch and moved to Hamilton for Taiaroa’s medical dilemmas. Waikato has been a blessing in disguise. We have a good setup for Taiaroa. He started school at Hamilton North Primary in 2010. This was a major milestone for us, his parents, to let our boy go and grow.

Our lives were running quite smoothly. Taiaroa was healthy and well. Just minor setbacks with on going chest infections which was manageable. Taiaroa was meeting small milestones at school. Life was grand.

However, in November 2011, Taiaroa experienced a major medical setback. All medical personal were very concerned for our son’s life. Uncertainty and heartbreak overwhelmed the whānau. He was rushed to Starship Hospital, where he spent three months. Since then he has been in hospital every month for short and long admissions in Waikato and Starship.

The neurology team at Starship told us that Taiaroa has been misdiagnosed and doesn’t have cerebral palsy as previously stated. Taiaroa is a medical mystery and under medical investigation regarding his diagnosis and today we still wait for an outcome.

Our lives have changed and Taiaroa’s day to day care is intense and a challenge at times. But life carries on and we just get on with it. Our boy continues to amazes us every day. We love you son.

Ko Taiaroa Tuatini-Love ahau
Nō Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki
Nō Ngāti Moki
Nō Ngāti Uenuku
Nō Ngāti Hauiti ki rata
Nō Ngāti Wai ki Whananaki
Nō Te Ati Awa
Tūturu whakamaua kia tina, tina
Hui e ! Taiki e!

Maaki Tuatini.

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Ngāi Tahu ki Horowhenua

Ko tēnei te whānau o Ngāi Tahu ki Horowhenua e mihi ake nei ki a koutou.

He pēpi

Charlie and Jorjia are happy to announce the arrival of baby Jax Huia Wilson, a little brother to Khana. Jax was born on 3 November and is mokopuna number eleven for Taua Mariana (Bluff whānau).

Te Wheariki Willow May is the first child of Kim (Anglem whānau) and Kirsty, born on 6 October at Wellington Hospital. She made an early entry into the world and was a precious little bundle at just 1.63kg. E ngā kuru pounamu, nau mai ki te whānau o Ngai Tahu ki Ōtaki!

Hari huri tau!

At our November hui we celebrated the birthdays of two of our special Tāua – Ropine and Amiria have the same birth date and it just happened to be the day of our hui. He mihi āroha ki a kōrua.

Facebook

If you’re not already friends with us on Facebook – Ngāi Tahu ki Horowhenua Ōtaki – check out our page and add us. It’s another way we can keep in touch with our whanauka in the rohe. Facebook, along with Te Pānui Rūnaka and emailing will ensure we stay in touch with everyone.

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