Kia ora whānau,

On top of the core business of the rūnaka, the main focus for the early part of February has seen us putting everything in place to host the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu hui at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Tākitimu. This hui was a great success and yet again we are indebted to everybody who supported us with this mahi.

Over February we hosted a couple of groups at Takutai o te Tītī Marae. A group from the Number10 organisation in Invercargill held their team building at the marae and we had our bi-annual visit from NMH School in Boston, United States. We also look forward to hosting Riverton primary school in early March. At the end of the month we welcomed the return of the Carving of Tū Te Rakiwhānoa to Takutai o Te Tītī Marae. This figure had been loaned to Southland Museum for the Tamatea, Art and Conservation in Dusky Sound exhibition. A similar exhibition featuring many of the exhibits is now being run at Te Hīkoi here in Riverton.

Rhys Horrell

Rhys and I would sincerely like to thank you all for the wonderful support you gave us both to get to the New Zealand and South Island Secondary School Clay Target Competition held in Christchurch in September 2016.

It was a great experience for Rhys and he’s looking forward to the 2017 shooting season. Rhys has managed a few trophies, medals and badges over the season with his shooting for the Aparima college clay target team in the secondary school competition and for his club Western Southland. He even gained a south Island junior title for the handicap by distance at the South Island Championships held in Invercargill in November, and also received the Southland Future Champion for boys clay bird shooting award at the 2016 Southland Secondary School Sports awards.

Thanks again for your wonderful support it was really appreciated. Your Sincerely, Rhys and Keri Horrell.

Rhys with his trophies and medals.

Rhys with his trophies and medals.

Te Anau holiday home

Did you know that we have a comfortable house for whānau to rent in Te Anau? This property sleeps eight and is located in the heart of the town. It is within walking distance of all amenities and only a short distance from many of the tourist opportunities the region has to offer. Please contact the office for further details or to make a booking.

Contact details

We are progressively updating our membership database to improve the quality of our information. So if you or any of your whānau have moved house or changed email address or phone numbers then please let us know as soon as possible.

Whānau communication

We are looking at ways to improve our communications with whānau and are exploring different ways to get the word out there about what is going on.

We have created an opportunities page on Facebook. This page will carry details of any opportunities for our members such as: details of scholarships, bird transfers, vacancies for representatives on various boards and much more. The link below will take you to this page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oraka-Aparima-Runaka-opportunity-pages/1615071675378752

In the interim we will continue to send you emails. If you no longer wish to receive emails please let us know.

Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka Inc Society

Annual General Meeting
10am, Sunday 9 October
Takutai o Te Titi Marae, Ōraka/Colac Bay.

•           Chairperson Report

•           Financial Report

•           Annual Report

•           Adoption of new Holding company constitution

Oraka Aparima Rūnaka Holdings Ltd

Annual General Meeting
(following on from the AGM of Oraka Aparima Rūnaka)

•           Chairperson report

•           Financial report

•           Annual Report

•           Reappointment of co-opted director/s

This will be followed by our general monthly hui.

 

Rarotoka working trips

How would you like to be part of the team going over to help carry on the great work that is being done there? These trips are scheduled for the following times:

Trip one:

  • Friday 2 September – Leaving Takutai o Te Tītī Marae at 10am.
  • Sunday 4 September – Leaving Rarotoka to return to Takutai o Te Tītī  by 3pm.

Trip two:

  • Friday 21 October – Leaving Takutai o Te Tītī Marae at 10am
  • Monday 24 October  – Leaving Rarotoka to return to Takutai o Te Tītī  by 3pm.

Please contact the office by Friday 26 August for more detail.

Te Anau holiday home

Did you know that we have a comfortable house for whānau to rent in Te Anau? This property sleeps eight and is in the heart of the town. It is within walking distance of all amenities and only a short distance from many of the tourist opportunities the region has to offer. Please contact the office for further details or to make a booking.

Volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the variety of projects and commitments that we have. There are many diverse roles that we need help with, from representation on boards or appointment panels to helping with bird transfers and assisting at the marae or working in the nursery or the wetlands. If you are keen to play a more active role within the rūnaka please contact us here at the office to discuss the options.

Contact details

We are progressively updating our membership database to improve the quality of our information. So if you or any of your whānau have moved house or changed email address or phone numbers then please let us know as soon as possible.

Communication with whānau

We are looking at ways to improve our communications with whānau and are exploring different mediums as to how to get the word out there about what is going on.

We have created an opportunities page on Facebook. This page will carry details of any opportunities for our members such as, details of scholarships, bird transfers, vacancies for representatives on various boards and much more. The link will take you to this page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oraka-Aparima-Runaka-opportunity-pages/1615071675378752

In the interim we will continue to send you emails, however if you no longer wish to receive emails please let us know.

Administrative professional day

Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka staff were recently privileged to attend the administrative professionals day held at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill. The day consists of a luncheon and a celebrity guest speaker. In previous years we have seen the likes of Kevin Biggar of first crossings fame, Josh Emmett and Robyn Malcolm. The speaker this year was none other than respected television journalist Mike McRoberts. Until recently Mike was presenting the News Hub programme with Hilary Barry. He is possibly best known for travelling to the world’s most dangerous destinations to cover disasters and armed conflict.

Mike gave the audience a fascinating insight into the what life is like of the front line of various war zones. He also spoke very frankly about the challenges he has faced most recently in the workplace with the resignation of Hilary Barry. It is clear that Mike is a principled man who cares very deeply for his friends and colleagues. He was a truly inspirational speaker and took the time to walk round the tables speaking to as many people as he could.

Flag poles

Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka now have flag poles at both the office (175 Palmerston St, Riverton) and at Takutai o te Tītī Marae. The New Zealand flag and The Tino Rangatiratanga flag were flown at Takutai o te Tītī Marae during the Kī o Rahi tournament.

Volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the variety of projects and commitments that we have. There are many diverse roles that we need help with, from representation on boards or appointment panels and helping with bird transfers, to assisting at the marae or working in the nursery or the wetlands. If you are keen to play a more active role within the rūnaka please contact us here at the office to discuss the options.

Contact details

We are progressively updating our membership database to improve the quality of our information. So if you or any of your whānau have moved house or changed email address or phone numbers then please let us know as soon as possible.

Communication with whānau

We are looking at ways to improve our communications with whānau and are exploring different mediums as to how to get the word out there about what is going on.

We have created an opportunities page on Facebook. This page will carry details of any opportunities for our members such as, details of scholarships, bird transfers, vacancies for representatives on various boards and much more. The link below will take you to this page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oraka-Aparima-Runaka-opportunity-pages/1615071675378752

In the interim we will continue to send you emails, however if you no longer wish to receive emails please let us know.

Communication with whānau

We are looking at ways to improve our communications with whānau and as such we are exploring different mediums to get the word out there about what is going on. Generally, we are seeking to limit the volume of email traffic we generate.

We have created an opportunities page on Facebook. This page will carry details of scholarships, bird transfers, vacancies for representatives on various boards and much more. The link below will take you to this page:
In the interim we will continue to send you emails, however if you no longer wish to receive emails please let us know.

Kia ora whānau,
Our thoughts are on the new tītī season. We wish whānau who are going to the islands a safe and bountiful journey.

Unfortunately the scheduled Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu general hui which was to be held at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu was cancelled due to a tangi. Many thanks to whānau who assisted in the preparations leading up to this hui.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations – wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead.

Communication with whānau

We are looking at ways to improve our communications with whānau and exploring different medium to get the word out there about what is going on. Generally, we are seeking to limit the volume of email traffic we generate. Check out our rūnaka Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OrakaAparimaRunakaPanui

We’ve created an opportunities page on Facebook. This will carry details of opportunities for our members such as details of scholarships, bird transfers, vacancies for representatives on various boards and much more. Find it here: www.facebook.com/pages/Oraka-Aparima-Runaka-opportunity pages/1615071675378752
In the interim we will continue to send you emails but let us know if you no longer wish to receive them.

Kia ora whānau, the past month seems to have flown by and with Christmas around the corner we are left wondering where the year has gone? The lead-up to Christmas promises to be a busy one too.

In the forthcoming month, we have a couple of scheduled school visits to Takutai o Te Tītī Marae and a Kī-o-Rahi tournament at the same venue. The Kī-o-Rahi tournament will be a follow-on meet from the one we held earlier in the year. The earlier tournament was a huge success and was embraced by so many schools that the rūnaka purchased Kī-o-Rahi sets and distributed them to schools within our rohe.

We also enjoyed Hui-ā-Iwi which was held from 20-22 November. This fantastic event had many opportunities for whānau and seems to be going from strength to strength.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau congratulations and best wishes for the year ahead.

Visitor centre opening

Pictured here are Jane Davis, Dave Taylor, Muriel Johnstone, Betty Rickus, Ann Wakefield and Helen Brown at the Queenstown Visitor Centre opening on 11 September. This kōhatu is from the famed pounamu source Te Koroka on Te Awa Whakatipu and has been bestowed with the name Manaheke.

Our group of whānau at the opening.

Our group of whānau at the opening.

Manawa Tītī Programme

Riki Dallas, Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka Kaihautū and Monica Davis Ngāi Tahu Group General Manager of People and Performance, reflect after an amazing presentation from Tā Tipene O’Regan, with Ōraka Aparima legends, Aunty Jane Davis and Muriel Johnstone at the end of a weekend hui learning about our Kāi Tahu history.

From left, Aunty Jane, Muriel, Riki and Monica at the hui.

From left, Aunty Jane, Muriel, Riki and Monica at the hui.

Ōtautahi Taurahere Group

We are currently exploring the opportunity for an Ōraka Aparima Taurahere Group based in Ōtautahi. Kyle Davis had agreed to be the point of contact for this group. If you or any of your whānau are interested in joining this group please contact Kyle Davis on [email protected]

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu

Ōraka Aparima had the pleasure of hosting the start of the Te Ara Whakatipu programme on 27-28 October at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu.

Fifteen Ngāi Tahu rangatahi along with support staff started a week long journey of learning at Te Kōawa, travelling along the Hollyford track eventually finishing at Martins Bay.

Our rūnaka members who were involved during the evening were Muriel Johnstone, Ann Wakefield and Kyle Davis who also completed the whole trip. Kai was catered by Lynley McKay along with Riki and Lorraine Dallas, while Dean Cole met the party at Martins Bay and gave an informative talk about his life experiences. We are hoping this will become an annual event.
Nā Riki Dallas.

Office closure

Please note that the office will be closing on Wednesday 23 December and will re-open on Monday 11 January 2016.

Volunteers wanted

We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the various projects and commitments at our rūnaka. There are many diverse roles that we need help with, including representation on boards or appointment panels, helping with bird transfers, assisting at the marae or working in the nursery or the wetlands. If you are keen to play a more active role within the rūnaka please contact us at the office to discuss the options.

Contact details

We are progressively updating our membership database to improve the quality of our information. So if you or any of your whānau have moved house or changed email address or phone numbers, please let us know as soon as possible.

Contributions

We welcome contributions from whānau for Te Pānui Rūnaka. If you wish to contribute please send your news and stories to us at [email protected] or phone 03 234 8192 or 0800 number 0800 234 8192.

Stay connected

Did you know we are now on Facebook? To contact us via Facebook please follow this link http://www.facebook.com/OrakaAparimaRunakaPanui

Kia ora whānau, the last month has seen us putting the finishing touches to our annual report (due to be distributed at the end of the year) as well as financial planning and updating our policies and procedures. Some interesting wānanga have also taken place over the last month including the Ngā Whetū wānanga which was held at Te Kōawa Tūroa a Takitimu. A working trip to Rarotoka also took place where progress was made on the regeneration of the buildings and the clearing of noxious weeds such as gorse and broom. The Manawa Hou group also used Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu for its base prior to walking the Hollyford Track.

During the same period a number of bird transfers (mohua and kiwi) took place at various locations throughout our rohe. These awesome opportunities come up from time to time and can sometimes be at relatively short notice. I would urge whānau who wish to take part in these or any other rūnanga activities to contact us here at the office for further information.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau congratulations and very best wishes for the year ahead.

Wānaka whetū

This was an amazing wānanga to attend. It was held at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu from 11-13 September. It was Initiated by Dean Whaanga (Awarua) and Muriel Johnstone (Ōraka Aparima) and supported by Kotahi Mano Kāika. Dean, his brother Hemi (Ngāi Tahu/ Ngāti Kahungunu), cousin Dr Rangimatāmua (Ngāi Tahu/Tūhoe) and photographer Erica (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) shared the facilitation duties.

We were given names for and told stories about many of the whetū (stars)and constellations. Unfortunately, when going outside to apply our new knowledge, the sky wasn’t clear.

Perhaps the most new learning I had was that Matariki (which we celebrate along with Puaka) is not made up of seven sisters, does not mean ‘little eyes’, is not a flock of doves (according to Māori tradition) and although there are many whetū in Te Kāhui o Matariki, Māori observe nine.

To those who don’t already know, Matariki means – Ngā mata o te ariki Tāwhirimātea. The other ‘two’ whetū are Pōhutakawa and Hiwa.

“Ko te Mātauraka kore tuku, he mātauraka kore hua – Knowledge that isn’t shared is not knowledge.”

Astronomy is the study of the objects in the sky (stars, planets, moons, galaxies, comets etc). Traditionally Māori held great knowledge of astronomy and their studies of the night sky played an important role in everyday life. Much of this knowledge remains recorded in te reo Māori and sits within karakia, waiata, whakataukī, and within place names. This project will explore the language of Māori astronomy to understand how important it was to our ancestors. It will also help to revive the language of Māori astronomy exploring how this knowledge can be used in a modern world.
Nā Rangimaria Suddaby.

The stars of Matariki.

The stars of Matariki.

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu is an excellent venue and has the facilities to sleep 20-plus people. It is situated in the beautiful Jericho Valley approximately 40kms from Te Anau. There are excellent opportunities for biking, walking, hunting and fishing in the local area. If you and a few of your whānau or friends would like to stay there please contact us here at the office for details.

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu.

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu.

Volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the various projects and commitments we have. There are many diverse roles that we need help with, some of which include; representation on boards or appointment panels, helping with bird transfers, assisting at the marae or working in the nursery or the wetlands and many more. If you are keen to play a more active role within the rūnaka please contact us here at the office to discuss the options.

Contact details

We are progressively updating our membership database to improve the quality of our information. If you or any of your whānau have moved house or changed email address or phone numbers then please let us know as soon as possible.

Contributions

We welcome contributions from whānau for Te Pānui Rūnaka. If you wish to contribute please send your news and stories to us at: [email protected] or phone 03 234 8192. We also now have an 0800 number: 0800 234 8192.

Rūnaka Facebook page

Did you know we are now on Facebook? To contact us via Facebook follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/OrakaAparimaRunakaPanui

Kia ora whānau, well spring has finally arrived and in the words of Anne Bradstreet, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

From a management perspective the focus has been on financial planning for the forthcoming year and formulating and updating our policies and procedures.

The executive and our representatives have been busy attending different hui and servicing the external positions they hold on various boards.

An extremely informative kanakana hui was held at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff with whānau from Murihiku, Taranaki and Wanganui. It was inspiring to listen to whānau stories and memories of this treasured mahinga kai species. It was also good to listen and share ideas on customary harvesting techniques and of course recipes.

We certainly hope the whitebaiters among you are enjoying a prosperous harvest, and to those of you who are gardeners, it’s time to get cracking as the growing season is nearly upon us. It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations and very best wishes for the year ahead.

General monthly meetings
The remaining general monthly meetings for 2015 are to be held at Takutai o Te Tītī Marae are as follows:

  • 11 October (annual general meeting)
  • 8 November

All members are welcome to attend the general meetings, so please feel free to come along and find out what is happening. If for any reason these dates change we will notify whānau as soon as possible.

Representative and alternate positions

Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka Inc have concluded their process for the election of the appointment komiti and are now calling for candidates for the positions of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative and alternate.

All nominations are to be in writing and received by the office no later than 5pm Thursday 8 October. For further details on criteria please contact the rūnaka office on 03 234 8192 or email us at [email protected]

If you know of anyone else who may meet the criteria and may be interested in either of these positions, please pass this information on to them.

Please note anyone wishing to apply for or have voting rights for this position must be a member of Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka. The final day for registration was Friday 19 August.

We received five nominations for the appointments komiti. The nominees are:

  • Jane Davis
  • Betty Rickus
  • Teina Wilmshurst
  • Stewart Bull
  • Muriel Johnstone.

Thank you to these people who put their names forward for this position.

Oraka Featured Image

Volunteers wanted

We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the various projects and commitments that we have. There are many diverse roles that we need help with including representation on boards or appointment panels, helping with bird transfers to assisting at the marae or working in the nursery or the wetlands etc. If you are keen to play a more active role within the rūnaka, please contact us here at the office to discuss the options.

Contributions

We welcome contributions from whānau for Te Pānui Rūnaka. If you wish to contribute please send your news and stories to us at [email protected] or phone 03 234 8192; or 0800 234 8192.

Contact us

Did you know we are now on Facebook? To contact us through this medium please visit http://www.facebook.com/OrakaAparimaRunakaPanui

Kia ora whānau, we trust that you are keeping warm and wintering well, and we hope that you managed to spend some time with whānau over the school holidays.

As spring approaches the whitebaiters will be readying themselves for the forthcoming season and those working in agriculture enter a busy time as calves and lambs begin to appear.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations and here is wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead.

The last two months have been very eventful. Aside from the usual round of hui we have had a number of activities hosted at the marae the Western Schools Kī o Rahi Tournament and also the kanakana monitoring has begun for the year. On top of that we welcome the appointment of our new kaihautū (general manager), Riki Dallas. [Read more…]

Kanakana monitoring

Over the past few years large numbers of lamprey (also known as kanakana and piharau) have been found dead or dying with unusual red skin markings and hemorrhaging. The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) carried out some initial testing and found evidence of bacterial infection in certain samples however, the root cause of this problem has not yet been established. [Read more…]

Kia ora whānau, as we experience polar extremities of weather we are reminded of how fickle Tokerau can be. The gardeners amongst us are rushing to get their last minute jobs done before winter bites. We spare a thought for whānau whose mahi necessitates the need to work in the elements.

Over the past month, the executive have been busy attending various hui and hearings as well as attending to the core business of the rūnaka. Some whānau members have been involved in bird transfers and have facilitated workshops at hui. At the same time various whānau members enjoyed Easter at Rarotoka and others made use of the rūnaka holiday home in Te Anau. [Read more…]

Kia ora whānau, we hope you all had an enjoyable Easter break and were able to spend time with your whānau over this period.

Over the last month we have seen a number of hui take place at Takutai o te Tītī Marae including the combined rūnaka hui, the whaikōrero and Te Reo Māori Strategy hui. On top of this we have had two school visits, one from Te Anau School and the other from Northfield Mount Hermon School in the United States of America. [Read more…]

Kia ora e te whānau, if you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations and here is to wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead.

As April approaches our thoughts are on the forthcoming tītī season. We wish whānau who are going to the islands a safe and bountiful journey. [Read more…]

Kia ora Whānau

We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break and were able to spend time with whānau and friends. Hopefully you are now feeling energized and ready to meet the challenges of 2015. If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations and wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead. [Read more…]

We are at the end of a very eventful year for the rūnaka. Throughout the year we ran a series of wānanga on whaikōrero, tikanga Māori and te reo. As a result of this we now have strategies in place to move these important kaupapa forward. With support from NKMPT (Ōraka Aparima Health and Social services) we ran a series of men’s health clinics at Takutai o Te Tītī Marae. These clinics proved to be life changing for some of the tāne who attended. There are several awareness campaigns relating to Māori health, so please let us support whānau with this. [Read more…]

Congratulations

On 21 November, whānau and friends of Linley and Roy Te Keeti gathered to celebrate a significant milestone – their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married in Dunedin on 21 November 1964. Linley is the twin daughter of Bette Devine (née Cleaver) of Colac Bay. Linley and Roy’s six tamariki, 31 moko, 16 great-moko and whānau send their aroha and congratulations. [Read more…]

Rā whānau
If you have celebrated a birthday recently we trust that you had a great day and celebrated it in style.

Rūnanga news
Kia ora whānau, the last month has been a fairly hectic one as the final touches to the office upgrade take place. We have had to fit in various hui and our daily workloads around tradesmen over this period. Apologies if there were any inconveniences to whānau. It is hoped that by the time of publication this mahi will be completed.

Please drop in and see us at the office if there is anything we can help you with, or if you just want a look at what has been going on. [Read more…]

Rā whānau

If you have celebrated a birthday recently we trust that you had a great day and celebrated in style.

Rūnanga update

Kia ora whānau,
As the days begin to lengthen we welcome spring and eagerly anticipate the arrival of daylight saving. From the vantage point of our warm and newly refurbished office, we spare a thought for whānau, who are employed in fishing, farming and forestry, who have no choice but to work in the elements. The gardeners among us will be itching to get to work as they watch the moss creep over the lawns. Whitebaiters who have previously been frustrated by the early season river conditions, are now enjoying a more fruitful harvest. [Read more…]

Kia ora whānau, I trust everyone is in good health and spirits and that you’re keeping yourselves warm. As I sit here pondering on what to write, I’m listening to the rain pelting down and thinking how very grateful I am for the heat pump and the office refurbishment we have going on. We now have double glazed windows and doors and what a difference that makes to the warmth of the office. [Read more…]