Pre-TRoNT teleconferences continue but some of the planned dates change due to TRoNT changing some of its hui dates. The Moeraki office will know of any date changes and will also update the rūnanga calendar with changes in pre-TRoNT teleconferences. TRoNT workshop date is still not able to be determined as the kitchen re-development work and dates for that have to be established first.

Please feel free to contact Karen via the office if you wish to discuss any views that you have in relation to TRoNT.
All feedback is very important.

As a young boy growing up in a small town in heartland mid-Canterbury, I always knew I was Kāi Tahu, and that my grandfather’s family had grown up around Moeraki. I was told that a Dutch whaler had arrived several generations back, he married a ‘princess’ from down south and that’s how the Waterreus name made it to New Zealand. Unfortunately 40 years ago in mid-Canterbury it wasn’t cool to identify as being Māori, and there were limited opportunities to engage with Māori culture, to learn about tikaka or how to speak te reo. So my identity was limited to the Pākehā side of my family, and apart from a few small meetings with other Waterreus family members, my upbringing was rather devoid of my Māori heritage. I felt this hole as I grew up, and the older I got the more I wanted to know in order to fill in those gaps.

Years ago I saw Aoraki Bound advertised, and I knew at that moment that I had to do it in order to find myself. Aoraki Bound was an amazing journey crammed full of reflections, self-awareness, cultural learnings, stories about days of old, Kāi Tahu tikaka, the Atua, myths and legends, feeling a new whānau bonding and a growing pride in discovering who I am, and where I’m from. The defining moment for me however came after the last day of Aoraki Bound, when with the support and help of Alice Dimond from TRoNT I came home to Moeraki. My partner and I arrived at the rūnaka to meet Jenny Brooks and Mary-Anne Tipa. Jenny had produced information and documents relating to my whakapapa and we all sat and discussed how I fitted in to Moeraki. David Higgins soon arrived and explained how we were related, before taking us in the car to all the areas of significance, telling rich stories of a lifetime growing up on the whenua and moana. David was able to point out relatives final resting places, and I got to see the grave of my great-great grandmother at Hamden.

The high point of my visit to Moeraki though, was finally feeling like my Pepeha now has validity. I can call Moeraki my marae, I can now identify with my hapū, thanks to David’s knowledge of whakapapa I have clarity around my waka, and I have a clearer view of who I am. I would like to say a huge thank you to Kāi Tahu for Aoraki Bound, to Alice Dimond for arranging our visit to Moeraki and to Mary-Anne, Jenny and David for their knowledge, care and attention while we were there. Ko Aaron Waterreus ahau, Aoraki Matatū.

Aaron Waterreus.

These grants are now open for 2017 and support whānau who whakapapa to Moeraki and are looking to further their studies at a recognised tertiary institution. Applications will close on Friday 31 March.

Eligibility
These grants will provide financial assistance to tertiary students who meet the following criteria:

Registered as a member of Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Inc.
Attending a tertiary institution and enrolled in a course leading to a recognised qualification.

To obtain an application form please contact Jenny Brookes, Office coordinator, Te Rūnanga o Moeraki office, Tenby Street, Moeraki RD2, Palmerston, Phone 03 439 4816; email: moeraki.runanga@ngaitahu.iwi.nz

Otago Polytechnic/Rūnaka Scholarship

The 2017 Otago Polytechnic/Rūnaka Scholarship covers tuition fees for up to three years for a chosen programme of study at Otago Polytechnic. The purpose of the Rūnaka Scholarship is to encourage Kāi Tahu students to succeed in tertiary education by removing financial barriers to study. The scholarships also acknowledge the contribution students can make to their rūnaka and local community.

This scholarship is offered to one student, for study in a chosen programme at Otago Polytechnic, from each of the four local rūnaka namely:

Te Rūnaka o Moeraki: Moeraki.runanga@xtra.co.nz
Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki: office@puketeraki.co.nz
Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou: admin@otakourunanga.org.nz
Hokonui Rūnaka: hokonui@xtra.co.nz

Please send your completed application to the rūnaka that you affiliate with well before the closing date of 18 March.

I would to thank Ngāi Tahu iwi and my rūnanga o Moeraki for the financial support over my four years of study at Auckland University. I’m happy to report that I graduated with first class honours in a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) degree this year. Your support fed me and motivated me when things got tough during those years. It reminded me that I was not doing the degree just for myself but also for the people that encouraged and helped me achieve my educational goal. I hope it will encourage others that may follow in my footsteps one day. Ngā mihi nunui ki a koutou, Ngaumu Jones.

Ngaumu Jones, recent graduate with first class honours.

Rūnanga general meetings

Meetings are held bi-monthly. Before each meeting there is a whānau hui to discuss what whānau would like for the next whaka whanaungatanga weekend and any other whānau aspirations. The next rūnanga meeting will be held 10.30am, 26 November at Moeraki Marae following the whānau meeting.

• November Whakawhanaungatanga – 5 and 6 November
• Christmas celebrations-more details when these have been finalised

Annual general meeting

A reminder that the annual general meeting for Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Inc will be held on Sunday 27 November at the marae. It would be great to see many whānau come and tautoko the kaupapa. Accommodation is always available at the marae for whānau who wish to stay for the weekend. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

Update from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Rep

Last month, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu had the remainder of its Papatipu Rūnanga aspirational goals presentations. Moeraki presented in August. And all presentations are available on the Ngāi Tahu website. The Moeraki presentation is available as both video and PowerPoint from the office. Pre-TRoNT teleconferences are held on the Wednesday before the hui. The next one is on Wednesday 16 November at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome – whether you just want to listen or comment as well. The TRoNT report goes out with the rūnanga general meeting papers. If you are not on the email to receive these, please contact the office and ask to be added to the list.

We are planning a workshop for whānau in 2017 in relation to Papatipu Rūnanga aspirational goals – watch Te Pānui Rūnaka for further details. If you want to contact TRoNT rep, Karen Coutts, please contact the office to be put in touch.

Te Rūnanga o Moeraki office hours are:
Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm
Ph: 03 439 4816 or 03 439 4864
Marae: 03 439 4411
Website: www.moerakirunanga.co.nz
Jennifer Brookes – Office Coordinator
moeraki.runanga@ngaitahu.iwi.nz

Mary-Anne Tipa – Kaihautū (General Manager)
moeraki.project@ngaitahu.iwi.nz

We were also fortunate to be able to pilot a coding initiative with our tamariki for two days of the wānaka while the adults were in their language classes. With the support of our computer whiz, kaiako Tracey Henderson, and Coding Aotearoa, 20 of our tamariki were able to learn to code using our own stories and in the comfort of their own marae.

Our Upoko, David Higgins, shared the kōrero about our mural on the first night and the tamariki used that to make up quizzes using code for the whānau at the pō whakakahau on the Thursday night. Although it was a bit of a shock to the system for the tamariki who have been part of the reo wānaka for the past six years to be required to commit to ‘mahi’ instead of their free-Moeraki-fun time, they rose to the challenge and all participated well in the new learning.

Our kaiako for the classes were Hana O’Regan, Kare Tipa and Fern Whitau. In our classes the students learnt te reo, stories of Moeraki and even composed three new waiata which we were able to rock out at the cultural celebrations and awards on the last night. Outside of the akomaka we learnt about collecting and processing kareko and rimurimu, visited the boulders and our Moeraki urupā, and even made it to Waitati to collect tuaki for our hākari.

The hākari itself was another lovely new event for us as we celebrated our first tamariki cultural awards for the tamariki participants in the wānaka and a whānau reo award that was presented to Sarah-Jane Tipa for her commitment to revitalising reo in her whānau. Nola Tipa had organised Ngāi Tahu pounamu carver, Gavin Thompson, to make pounamu cultural badges for our tamariki that they could wear with pride on their school blazers to celebrate their leadership in te reo and manaakitaka on the marae. As always, it was sad to leave our beautiful kāika and return to our other homes, however we did so enriched and revived by our ūkaipō and our whanauka. It was a lovely whānau learning time and enjoyed by all.

To finish off our kōrero, here are the words of one of our waiata that was composed by the tuakana language group during the hui. It talks of the journey we make back home from all of the parts of the rohe and beyond, to follow the paths of our tūpuna and be refreshed by our whenua.

Whāia kā matakoke ki kā tapuae tapu
Follow the shooting stars to the sacred footsteps

I waiho mai nā, nō kā mauka whakahī
That have been left behind, from the majestic mountains

He awa kōpikopiko ka kanakana i te riu
The winding rivers dart about to and fro in the valley

Ki te huika o te iwi e…i
The many rivers of the people converge

Aohia kā wairere o Kākaunui
scoop up into the hands the flowing waters of Kākaunui

Tāuwhiuwhitia taku tinana
sprinkle my body with its waters

Kia purea nei au
So I may be cleansed

Watua taku waka
Send my waka forth

Ki raro ki Matakaea e
Down to Matakaea

He rakitahutahu kai ruka
There is a red sky above

Kai taku māpihi maurea
To my dearest treasure

E poki ō mata
Close your eyes

Rotua kia moe i te raki mārū
Be enchanted to sleep by the gentle tune

O te ūkaipō… ko tau e!
Of the motherland … we have landed!

We would like to thank Te Pūtahitanga and the
Ngāi Tahu Fund for supporting this kaupapa of ours. Mei kore ake koutou – toitū te reo!

The rōpū listening to a kōrero from David Higgins.

Sarah-Jane Tipa centre front holding the whānau reo award that was presented to her for her commitment to revitalising reo in her whānau.

Tamariki visiting the boulders.

Te Kura o Te Tira Mōrehu Reo o Moeraki rōpū.

The past month has been busy for our Moeraki Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative. As well as the usual hui to ensure good governance is exercised, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has been engaged in reviewing the papatipu rūnaka aspirational goals. These were first discussed at Moeraki in 2010 when Gail Tipa was the representative. The review of our rūnanga aspirations has been inspiring. The last rūnanga hui was an exciting one, full of ideas and new goals. As a result, Moeraki will continue to do some work on refining the ways the emerging goals can be achieved. We will want to work with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and other rūnanga on how best to achieve some of these new goals.

The aspirational goals of Moeraki whānau for what the rūnanga could deliver, were presented on Sunday 21 August at Te Whare o Te Waipounamu by the representative Karen Coutts supported by whānau, including the alternate Stacey Gullen-Reynolds. The presentation is recorded (along with other presentations) and is available on the Ngāi Tahu website under Our Stories (PRAG 2016 refresh-Live stream). A copy of the PowerPoint is also available from the office.

Information will be coming out to the whānau via the rūnanga meetings on further work to refine how the new goals could be achieved. Please contact the office if you want to make sure you are emailed about this kaupapa. Mauri ora. Nā Karen and Stacey.

Dates to remember

Rūnanga general meetings
Meetings are held bi-monthly. Before each meeting there is a whānau hui to discuss what whānau would like for the next whakawhanaungatanga weekend and any other whānau aspirations. The next rūnanga meeting will be held 9 October at Moeraki Marae at 10.30am, following the whānau meeting.

November Whakawhanaungatanga
Watch this space – we will let whānau know the finer details closer to the time.

Christmas celebrations
More details when these have been finalised.

Annual general meeting
A reminder that the annual general meeting for Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Inc will be held on Sunday 27 November at the marae. It would be great to see whānau come and tautoko the kaupapa. Accommodation is always available at the marae for whānau who wish to stay for the weekend. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

Now 61, Wendi was diagnosed with high grade abnormal cells, a precursor to cervical cancer in 1976 after the standard six-week cervical screen following the birth of her fourth child.

“When you hear the word ‘cancer’ it makes your mind boggle,” she says. “I thought I was going to die. Who would look after my babies?”

The detected abnormalities resulted in a cone biopsy – the removal of a cone shaped piece of tissue from the cervix. Although Wendi was left with scar tissue, she amazingly went on to have four more children and is now the proud grandmother to 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“The screening saved my life. I wouldn’t be here to see my whakapapa grow if it wasn’t for my wonderful doctor who listened to me and insisted on further investigation.”

Wendi still has a cervical screen every three years and hasn’t had any abnormal screens for 40 years.“As a mother of four daughters, I want future generations to have the best chance of living a healthy life by catching it early.”
“I encourage all women of all ethnicities over the age of 20 to have cervical screenings.”

“I’m alive because of it,” she says with a smile.

Wendi Raumati, Kaiāwhina – Māori Liaison Allied Health.

Wendi Raumati (right), with her daughter Paritai and Moko Kyla.

Six year-old Ranui Te Maiharoa is all smiles after receiving the Most Improved Player for 2016 at the Maheno Rugby Club. Ranui loves playing rugby and can’t wait until next season when she will be able to play tackle rugby.

Ranui Te Maiharoa with her trophy.

Thank you

A mihi to both Richard Dwyer and Nathan Latimer of JB Were, Christchurch for assisting Moeraki Limited with our successful portfolio.

Richard is no longer with the company but we wish him every future success. Our external director Rodger Finlay, as well as Don MacFarlane, bring added value with rigorous discussions to our board.

Richard Dwyer and Nathan Latimer.

Kaumātua, Desmond Tipa and Rodger Finlay.

Moeraki Limited Kaiwhakahaere, Trevor McGlinchey.

Nathan Latimer.