E rere ana ngā roimata, e matapōrehu ana te ngākau ki ngā mate huhua o te wā. Hanatu rā koutou ki te kāinga wairua i te rangi, ki ngā mātua tīpuna. Okioki mai rā. Te pito mate ki te pito mate. Te pito ora ki te pito ora. Mauri ora ki a tātou. E aku nui, e te iwi whānui, nāia te mihi kau atu ki a koutou i runga i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā. Noho ora mai i ngā manaakitanga o te wāhi ngaro. Tēnā tātou katoa.

I’m sure that many will join me in congratulating Ngāti Waewae on the very successful opening of their new whare tipuna, Tūhuru. Ngāti Waewae, Ngāi Tahu whānui and iwi representatives ascended onto Arahura Marae on 21 November for the dawn ceremony. Even though it rained and at times poured, it didn’t stop whānau enjoying the moment and celebrating this special occasion. Later in the morning Ngāti Waewae welcomed whānau, the community and friends on to Arahura Marae. This was also an opportunity for Ngāti Waewae to acknowledge the many who assisted and supported the development and the building of the marae complex. Ngāti Waewae, ko koutou mō te manaaki tangata – nāia ka whakamiha atu. E Tūhuru e, tū mai rā.

The following day Ngāti Waewae hosted the Ngāi Tahu Hui-ā-Tau. As in past years, the open forum featured robust kōrero, really good questions and positive feedback. This year’s proceedings were a little different, as we held wānanga sessions with Te Here and Te Apārangi. The Te Here wānanga was led by Kaiwhakahaere Tuarua, Lisa Tumahai and focused on the Tribal Economies Strategy and the Te Apārangi wānanga, which I facilitated, focused on Freshwater – Ngāi Tahu Rights and Interests. We received positive feedback and encouraged vigorous discussions in the wānanga sessions. Over the next few months we anticipate continuing these discussions with whānau.

This year has been a very busy and productive one for Ngāi Tahu. We have celebrated many achievements and faced many challenges. As I reflect on 2014, I remember those who passed away and the legacies they have left. I think about the developments and hard work Papatipu Rūnanga are doing in their regions and communities; the on-going development and delivery of iwi initiatives and projects including the launch of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu as another method for supporting and enabling our people to achieve their goals and aspirations. I also reflect on the relationships, both new and old with iwi, local and national government, Māori organisations and in our own communities. I am excited that in March, we will be reconnecting yet again, as we come together to manaaki our manuhiri and cement our relationships at Te Matatini 2015.

Finally, I hope you all have a well-deserved holiday over the summer break. Let’s hope Tamanui-te-rā comes out to play. Take this time to spend with whānau and friends and reflect on the positives of 2014.

Meri kirihimete me ngā mihi o te tau hou ki a koutou. Mā te wāhi ngaro koutou e manaaki, ā, kia tau te rangimārie ki runga i a koutou katoa.

Tā Mark's latest photo.