Rā whānau
Happy birthday to all those celebrating this month.
Rūnaka education scholarship recipients
The Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Education Scholarship recipients for 2012 are;
Mitchell Harding Diploma in Exercise Prescription and Sports Management
Rua McCallum – Māori 9F FY Doctor of Philosophy
Tania Jenkins – Bachelor of Nursing
Haydon Richards – Graduate Diploma of Project Management
Jasmine Tahiri McCarthy – Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical imaging)
Mariana Pagan – Bachelor of Surveying
Shannon Goldsmith – Bachelor of Arts
Pagan Tawhai – First Year Health Science (Medicine)
Nigel Maguigan – Te Hapara
James Marshall – Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.
Due to exams not all were able to attend and be presented with their cheques at our July meeting, but we wish them all well in their studies and a bright future.
Goldsmith whānau
Members of the Goldsmith whānau recently revisited Uenuku to return members of their tīpuna to their papa kāinga of Moeraki. Siblings Nadine and Shannon, Nadine’s husband Paddy Daintith, along with Shannon’s daughters Niamh and Aoife Goldsmith presented pictures of their tīpuna to the marae. The pictures now hang proudly on the walls of Uenuku alongside pictures of other Moeraki whānau who have passed away. The Goldsmith whānau descend from Rawiri Te Mamaru who was a Moeraki rangatira and worked as a native magistrate with the Native Land Court during the mid-1800. The photos presented to Moeraki feature Rawiri’s grandson Hoani Mamaru, Rawiri’s great grand-daughter, Ada Goldsmith (née Mamaru) and her husband Harry Goldsmith (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) and Rawiri’s great-great grandson John Goldsmith.
Left to right; Nadine Daintith and Niamh, Shannon and Aoife Goldsmith.
Thank you
Shannon for finally, bringing your whānau photos home, we support and hope you make it off shore, to study.
Nā Koa Whitau-Kean.
Waitaki District Council – Memorandum of Understanding
The re-signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Te Rūnanga o Moeraki and the Waitaki District Council took place on Saturday 7 July. Waitaki District Council members including Mayor Alan McLay were welcomed onto Moeraki Marae and joined Te Rūnanga members in a wonderful kai and kōrero.
Re-signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Re-signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Kaumātua profile – Richard Katerama Whitau
Richard Katerama Whitau is the son of Mere Peti and Mussy Tuapaoa Whitau. He is one of seven siblings. He excelled in his mahi and his sports, and he always put his whānau and his hapū first.
When Richard was at school, with the help of friends, he organised after school and weekend work so they could help their whānau with the bills. Richard ensured their pay was documented, sealed into envelopes and delivered only to their mothers.
When he left school he joined Coulle Somerville, a printing company, where he became qualified in every department and was elected vice chair of the printers union. He particularly enjoyed being responsible for the leather bound one-off collectors books. He retired as manager and is recognised as the company’s longest serving employee.
Richard was also a justice of the peace (JP) and worked with the judges in the Dunedin Court for both European and iwi Māori cases.
A proud achievement for Richard was when various groups including his union, activists, key businessmen, whānau and hapū got the support of Prime Minister Norman Kirk to legislate the commemoration of Waitangi Day as a holiday.
Richard was also a very keen sportsman, renowned for doing a morning fitness regime well into his 60s. He played rugby league and basketball for many years.
With the help of Dunedin kaumātua, Richard and his brothers established and played for Otago Kia Toa Rugby League. And thanks to Raniera Ellison they were the only team in New Zealand to be subsidised by a Māori-owned company – Ōtākou Fisheries.
As a past chairman of both the Moeraki and Ōtepoti Māori committee, he had the oversight and vision to get Otago University Māori students to write proposals to tautoko the indigenous Kanaak and South African people.
In 1975 Richard was involved with the Whina Cooper Land March for Ngāi Tahu (where he arranged for George Ellison and David Higgins to attend with him). Occasionally I wear the humble kākahu they each received to commemorate the occasion.
As an early advocate of Te Kerēme, the supply of stationary paper for the Ngāi Tahu Trust Board was always strategically arranged. However when the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act was signed, the pounamu pen his father, Mussy Tuapaoa, presented to the government many years ago for that very purpose was not seen.
Like many of us, Richard attended the Foreshore and Seabed march. The government of the time invited him to attend. He proudly watched history inside the Beehive with members of parliament as the march made its way through the streets of Wellington.
When the government asked him to appear outside and sit on the pae, in his last stand of objection, he politely refused and explained he could not because of the unjust, unresolved, deeds of the Crown that have not yet been addressed.
Today, though not active with hapū or iwi affairs, Richard’s passion remains strong for all our mokopuna.
Nā Koa Whitau-Kean.