Welcome from our Chair
Purutia mai rā te iho o Ranginui e tū nei Whakamoua mai rā te iho o Papatūānuku e takoto nei Kia tīnā, kia whēnā, kia toka te manawa ora. Ora ki te whakatipua, ora ki te whakatawhito Ora ki te whai ao ki te ao mārama, tihei mouri ora.
Kāti, rere kau ake rā ko te reo tai whatiwhati o ngaru nui, o ngaru roa ki te hunga taepō kua rūruku i te wai whakapukepuke o Tangaroa whakamau tai. Kau ake rā koutou ki te wairiporipo o nui mā, o roa mā ki tae atu rā koutou ki te puna marino o aroha, haere, e moe kāti. Rātou ki rātou. Hoki rawa mai ki te hunga ora ko tātou anō ki tātou e pikau nei i ngā kaupapa huhua o te wā, mouri ora ki tātou.
We are proud to share our first edition of Te Iho Tangata, a six-monthly publication which highlights some of this year’s kaupapa Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa have lead and supported.
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa now has more than 10,000 registered members across the world, with a majority of our whānau living in New Plymouth, Waitara and in the main city centres of Aotearoa.
It’s important we keep our whānau informed on the work we are doing and its alignment to Te Ātatu, our five-year strategic plan. Our vision – Te Iho Tū, Te Iho Whenua, Te Iho Tangata sets our course toward Te Atiawa being secure, continuing to thrive, and remaining connected.
As the post-settlement governance entity for Te Atiawa iwi, it is important we continue to prudently manage, grow, and distribute funds that support Te Atiawa kaupapa which enable our hapū, marae and whānau to flourish.
We hope you enjoy reading our first Te Iho Tangata.
E ngā iwi o te motu nei, he raukura rā tēnei. E titia nei e Te Atiawa. I te iti, I te rahi, te katoa!
Liana Poutu
Pouwhakarae/Chair
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa
Upcoming Events
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Te Atiawa is resourceful and secure
Mahia ngātahitia te pūmanawa tangata hei oranga tonutanga o ngā uki o Te Atiawa
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Reindigenising our Te Atiawa landscape
Ngāmotu House
The newly redeveloped Ngāmotu House sits proudly in New Plymouth’s CBD and is a visual expression of our commitment to Te Atiawa whakapapa, to each other and the past.
The recently refurbished six-storey building was opened with Ngā Whakaritenga (ceremonial formalities) in late February and attended by hundreds of Te Atiawa whānau and guests.
Liana Poutu, Chair of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa, was thrilled to see so many whānau enjoy their building and seeing the aspirations of its people come to fruition.
“This is more than a building for us, it is a celebration of our Te Atiawatanga,” says Liana. Boon Architects worked alongside Te Atiawa and Ngāti Te Whiti to weave a Te Atiawa cultural narrative throughout the refurbishment.
Ngāmotu House is another step in the longterm strategy for Te Kotahitanga to balance its commercial, cultural, social and environmental aspirations.
“As well as this commercial investment, we have increased our home ownership and affordable rental pathways for whānau. In the last six months alone we have supported, in most cases with Ka Uruora, 10 whānau into their own homes.”
“This is more than a building for us, it is a celebration of our Te Atiawatanga.”
Liana Poutu
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Cultural Narrative
Ngāmotu House
The external façade honours our Te Atiawa ancestor Rongoueroa, the mother of Awanuiārangi.
Rongoueroa is represented as a parawai - a high status cloak made of flax fibre. This parawai wraps around the building and is a symbol of protection, integrity and collectivism. Its design also mirrors Taranaki Maunga as a tupuna for our people. The tāniko (weaving) pattern is in honour of our Te Atiawa and Taranaki weavers who were held in high regard for their craft. The niho patterns not only represent a tooth, but the communities in and around New Plymouth.
The colours, both inside and out, include blue to signify the moana (sea) and the traditional ‘Te Atiawa blue’. The red and orange represents the kōkōwai (red ochre) found on Taranaki Maunga and symbolises the vitality of the people of Te Atiawa, and black is a symbol for Papatūānuku (Earth mother). The windows on each floor are tinted in different shades to reflect the horizontal layers of the mountain – from the green of the bush on the bottom to the white of the snow and blue of the sky higher up.
The name Ngāmotu House was gifted in recognition of a number of hapū collectively known as Ngā hapū o Ngāmotu. It is also the name of the culturally significant Ngā Motu Islands, and is a name now more widely used for New Plymouth.
Scan the QR code below to watch the opening of Ngāmotu House.
Right: Ngāmotu House design and cultural team (left to right) are Kerehama Waru (Authentic Taonga), Murali Bhaskar (Boon), Hemi Sundgren (Whanake Design), Barry Te Whatu (Authentic Taonga) and Te Poihi Campbell (Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa).
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Te Urunga Kāinga
Te Atiawa Housing Programme
“Owning a whare means so much to me, providing a safe whare for my children where we can continue to make memories and share the love we have for each other.”
Moving into a newly renovated whare in Te Kōhanga Moa, Inglewood, last year fulfilled a lifetime dream for first-time homeowner, Jazinda Komene (Te Atiawa, Taranaki).
A māmā on her own with four children aged 5 to 14, Jazinda has been on permanent ACC since she was 18, unable to work full time. She had almost given up hope of getting a mortgage when Aunty Carol Koha insisted on her calling Ka Uruora.
“My children were my motivation,” she says. “I wanted somewhere they could call home for the rest of their lives. Ka Uruora supported me to make that possible.”
Ka Uruora, established by Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa (Te Kotahitanga) and Te Kāhui o Taranaki, is also supported by four other iwi from Taranaki and works with whānau to achieve financial independence and housing security.
“It’s just amazing what they can do for whānau. I didn’t have much debt. But they helped me have more control of my money by identifying the good and the bad in my spending habits.”
Jazinda has shared ownership with Ka Uruora of a home originally owned and renovated by Te Kotahitanga. Under the scheme, Ka Uruora shares a portion of the purchase cost and ownership until whānau can afford to take on full ownership of their whare.
Te Kotahitanga has so far renovated and sold 10 units and whare, some outright and others through shared ownership. Where Te Atiawa uri did not want to take up opportunities, whānau from other iwi within the Ka Uruora scheme stepped in.
This programme is part of the broader Te Urunga Kāinga – Te Atiawa Housing Programme, with the ambitious target of supporting 500 whānau into homes over the next 10 years. This, through a mix of kaumatua and community rentals, affordable rentals and rent-to-own, shared ownership and market sales.
Jazinda Komene (pictured below on left) encourages more whānau to get involved, to “believe in themselves and know that anything’s possible.”
Scan the QR code below to watch Jazinda talk about her journey to shared home ownership.
“My children were my motivation. I wanted somewhere they could call home for the rest of their lives. Ka Uruora supported me to make that possible.”
Jazinda Komene
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Congratulations Karlos Ruakere (Te Atiawa, Taranaki) who has purchased his own home under Ka Uruora’s shared ownership model.
Te Kotahitanga are proud to have obtained and renovated this property for sale to a deserving whānau.
For more information about how Ka Uruora can support your whānau saving and home ownership goals go to kauruora.nz
“This whare isn’t just a home, it’s security for not only myself but my tamariki as well.”
Karlos Ruakere
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Right: Karlos Ruakere and his daughter, Hinemaiora.
Telling our stories in road safety projects SH3 Naming
Safety improvement projects on two stretches of road are drawing on the cultural aspirations of hapū.
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa (Te Kotahitanga) has been working with Te Atiawa hapū Manukorihi, Ngāti Rāhiri, Otaraua, Pukerangiora and Puketapu and alongside Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency on Te Ara Tūtohu, stretching from Waitara to Bell Block, and the section of State Highway 3 from New Plymouth to Hāwera.
Iwi discussions are underway on the naming of the SH3 passage and a name is expected to be released soon.
Te Kotahitanga Pouwhakakaupapa/Project Manager Gina Blackburn is helping with the coordination of the workstream.
“The role of Te Kotahitanga in this collaboration is to support the aspirations of our hapū,” she says.
“Waka Kotahi proposed safety improvements to these two passages. They have been associated with shocking crash statistics and our hapū were keen to get involved and address some of the issues.”
Many sites of cultural significance and wāhi tapu line the roads. Cultural monitors were placed at these sites on behalf of hapū to observe earthworks and excavation.
“Otaraua and Manukorihi hapū have been vital during the ongoing Princess Street road works as part of the Te Ara Tūtohu project,” Gina says.
Hapū have also been helping with design and construction planning at a series of roundabouts being built on Te Ara Tūtohu.
Gina says the work will strengthen cultural connections between hapū and their whenua.
“The role of Te Kotahitanga in this collaboration is to support the aspirations of our hapū.”
Gina Blackburn
“It is a great opportunity to bring back the presence of our hapūtanga and Te Atiawatanga to these areas. It also brings pride in place.
Four sculptural works of art will be installed along the network, all reflecting hapū and iwi in different ways. Internationally renowned artist Rangi Kipa is leading the installations.
The Kaitiaki Forum for Te Ara Tūtohu hapū representatives are; Mawhaturia White, Geoff White and Olympia Merito-Hoben (Manukorihi), Alaine Tamati-Aubrey (Ngāti Rāhiri), Donna Eriwata and Rawinia Ngohe (Otaraua), Nardia Lichtwark (Pukerangiora) and Anaru Wilkie, Fern Brand, Theresa Patu and Kelly Moeahu (Puketapu).
The Kaitiaki Forum hapū representatives for New Plymouth to Hāwera are; Bev Gibson (Ngāti Tawhirikura), Rita Rukuwai (Ngāti Tūparikino) and Julie Healey (Ngāti Te Whiti).
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Te Atiawa thrives with the environment
Ka uruora a runga, ka uruora a raro, ka uruora te whenua, ka uruora te tangata ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama e hai!
TE IHO WHENUA
Tātai Tāngata ki te Whenua
Growing food and reconnecting to the whenua
Pounamu Skelton says a lot of whanaungatanga happens in the māra kai. She should know – for the past four years Pounamu has taught about 300 whānau Māori in Taranaki to grow kai in their own backyards.
Late last year, Pounamu (pictured below) helped reconnect 20 Te Atiawa whānau members back to Papatūānuku through her 10-week Tātai Tāngata ki te Whenua programme for Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. Her second 12-strong Te Atiawa group graduated in April.
“It’s all about reconnection to the whenua, and it’s beautiful to watch,” Pounamu said.
“There’s that moment when someone is toiling in the soil and they just feel better about themselves. It really helps their physical and mental health. There’s a harikoa too, especially in a group.”
Pounamu (Te Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) said it is deeply satisfying to give whānau tools and the knowledge to grow healthy kai that’s produced through the hua parakore tikanga approach to growing.
“If you can grow a vegetable, you can grow fruit trees, you can grow natives ... and then you can grow anything. It’s transforming knowledge that empowers people,” she said.
“There’s mana attached to that and people feel good about themselves.”
Tātai Tāngata ki te Whenua was created by Pounamu specifically for Taranaki iwi after COVID-19, when she was living in Waitara and could see grassy back yards where no food was being grown.
A gardener, teacher of māra kai gardening and tumu whakarae of Te Waka Kai Ora (National Māori Organics Authority of Aotearoa), Pounamu decided to do something about that.
She’s developed a hybrid programme of online and in-person wānanga that are held at Te Rau o Rongo Papakāinga in Onaero, her whānau two-hectare Māori food farm. Taranaki iwi ran the first programme, followed by Te Atiawa and Ngāti Mutunga.
Whānau who join the programme are between 16 to 70 years old and the kaupapa is attractive to many combinations of whānau groups.
“If you can grow a vegetable, you can grow fruit trees, you can grow natives ... and then you can grow anything. It’s transforming knowledge that empowers people.”
Pounamu Skelton
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They all get a māra kai starter kit Pounamu designed to help make māra kai easier for beginners. It has a raised garden bed, seed raising mix, seeds, soil, seedlings and gardening tools.
Tātai Tāngata ki te Whenua is designed around the maramataka so participants can learn about Te Taiao and ngā tohu. Kaupapa include māra design - the best place to put māra kai, different ways of gardening such as no-dig, container or raised beds, seed sowing, transplanting seedlings, composting, companion planting, seed sovereignty and hua parakore - a kaupapa Māori system for kai atua (pure foods).
Mātauranga Māori that uses atua Māori pūrākau is also woven into the programme to illustrate, for instance, philosophies of tiakitanga and parakore that do no harm to the whenua.
“They [participants] can apply the knowledge and teach their kids and start to garden together. I love that for us,” Pounamu said.
“They get to eat the kai and experience food that’s pure, where they understand exactly where it’s from. It’s an opportunity for all our whānau to live a healthy life and a more natural life like our tūpuna did.
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Opposite page: Waimirirangi MacDonald harvesting kūmara.
Right
“They get to eat the kai and experience food that’s pure, where they understand exactly where it’s from. It’s an opportunity for all our whānau to live a healthy life and a more natural life like our tūpuna did.”
Pounamu Skelton
“What better thing to do... to share with our own whānau and demonstrate what’s possible.”
Pounamu’s favourite backyard transformation story is about a whanaunga who - three years ago - was new to growing kai. Through the Tātai Tāngata programme she’s transformed her entire backyard to include māra kai and fruit trees that now feed her whānau.
“It’s
a familiar tale, often just the beginning for many – filled with excitement as they embark on their journey.”
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(top to bottom): Some of the Tātai Tangata crew; Tawera Trinder in the māra.
Rangatahi reap rewards of new internships
Te Rauhī Hiringa internship programme
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa (Te Kotahitanga) launched its inaugural internship programme Te Rauhī Hiringa in November, welcoming six talented Te Atiawa uri into a variety of workstreams.
The new programme is designed to help uri build connection to Te Atiawa and supports them to gain experience, skills and knowledge in their areas of interest.
The first six Te Rauhī Hiringa interns were Tere Porter-Rawiri (Te Atiawa), Ethan Matuku (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga), Lucas Larraman (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga), Shianne Klenner (Te Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Mutunga), Naomi Butler (Te Atiawa) and Aisha Campbell (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Taranaki).
Their 12-week summer internships, in partnership with Taranaki Mounga, paired each rangatahi with a range of projects under the mantle of Te Kotahitanga, Taranaki Mounga, the Department of Conservation, Wildlife.ai and He Mounga Puia.
Second-year AUT Bachelor of Communications student Aisha Campbell was quick to understand the opportunity.
“I was heading home from uni over the summer break and I thought working for my iwi would be great mahi and a really cool experience.”
Aisha Campbell
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“I
was heading home from uni over the summer break and I thought working for my iwi would be great mahi and a really cool experience.”
The 19-year-old journalism major (minoring in Māori development) says she loved how Te Kotahitanga matched her interests and career aspirations with iwi work.
“Te Kotahitanga wanted to know what my interests were and how they could tailor an internship to me, rather than me having to fit any specific criteria. They just wanted to give uri opportunity and that’s exactly what this internship provided.
“During my time with Te Kotahitanga, I worked closely alongside my fellow intern Ethan Matuku on media projects. We interviewed people, did some writing and shot lots of short videos creating content for iwi social media.
“There were other kaupapa, too, such as organising promos and giveaways and helping to organise events.”
Aisha said she could sum up her internship in a single word: rewarding.
“I just feel very fortunate I got to meet so many important and motivated, dedicated, passionate people who really care about our people. That was really fulfilling to be around.
“Not only that, they were whanaunga as well. That adds another aspect that enriched the internship and the entire experience.”
“I just feel very fortunate I got to meet so many important and motivated, dedicated, passionate people who really care about our people. That was really fulfilling to be around.”
Aisha Campbell
Opposite page (left to right): Te Rauhī Hiringa interns Tere Porter-Rawiri, Ethan Matuku, Lucas Larraman, Shianne Klenner, Naomi Butler and Aisha Campbell.
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Te Atiawa is strong and connected
Tēnei te whakarauora e! te whakarauora reo kia tīnā, te whakarauora tikanga kia whēnā, te whakarauora ngā karanga whānaunga kia toka hui e, tāiki e!
TE IHO TANGATA
Te Whata Hononga
Support for large and small events
February’s hugely successful Waitangi ki Whaitara was a natural fit for a $20,000 Te Hononga grant.
“We were proud to support the event organisers Te Rau Oranga Trust,” says Pouwhakarite Pūtea Tautoko/Grants Manager Raymond Tuuta.
“The Waitangi Day market ticked all the boxes for a Tahua a rangi grant. This event was an excellent opportunity for our Te Atiawa uri and broader Waitara whānau to connect with our whenua at Otupaiia.”
The grants help uri and rōpū with the costs of attending or running events that connect whānau and promote Te Atiawa identity. The two offerings are Tahua a rangi (over $5,000) and Tahua a nuku (up to $5,000).
Tahua a rangi supports large events that benefit and are open to Te Atiawa as a whole. They might mark an important historical event or person, promote Te Atiawa reo me ona tikanga, or connect uri with their traditional takiwa and marae.
“This event was an excellent opportunity for our Te Atiawa uri and broader Waitara whānau to connect with our whenua at Otupaiia.”
Raymond Tuuta
Opposite page: Lacey Allen supporting Kanifit at Waitangi ki Whaitara.
Right (top to bottom): Ngamata Skipper and Wiki Michalanney; Nikkita Hiha, Shianni Fleet and Rhianna Darling; Garry Nicholas, Tui MacDonald and Michael Urwin.
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Tahua a nuku supports smaller events like whānau reunions, cultural wānanga, representative sports teams, kapahaka, exhibitions, and whenua Māori events. Both offerings operate on a 50/50 co-funding arrangement.
“The most common grants are for whānau reunions. The other day a Waitara whānau mentioned having a wānanga around whakapapa and going to other cities to present to whānau there.
“This perfectly aligns with Tahua a nuku. Once they confirm $1,500 koha from whānau to cover costs we can come in and give the other $1,500,” says Raymond.
Another kaupapa receiving support is a haerenga by kaumātua of Mahia Mai A Whai Tara to Ōtepoti in April. They will retrace the footsteps of their Te Atiawa tūpuna.
Applications are open until 30 June 2024.
“We encourage whānau to contact us and have a kōrero around their kaupapa,” says Raymond.
Information on all Te Hononga Grants can be found on our Te Kotahitagnga website: teatiawa.iwi.nz or scan the QR code below:
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Right (top to bottom): Hakirau Waru, Bobby-Lee Waru and Corban Cooper; (left to right) Nina Laurence, Larnee Wallace, Marlee Wallace and Kingston Schimanski; Mizsiah Martin-Kemp and Melissa Henare.
Growing capability of our people Succession planning
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa has taken succession planning kōrero to the next level by appointing an associate director to its commercial subsidiaries.
Lewis England (Te Atiawa, Taranaki and Ngāti Mutunga) was appointed in February for an initial term of one year to Te Atiawa Holdings Limited Partnership and Te Atiawa (Taranaki) Holdings Ltd.
This role doesn’t have voting rights but is a full board member in every other way.
Joshua Hitchcock, Te Kotahitanga Pou Amotake/General Manager Operations said succession planning has been a big conversation internally and on Te Atiawa boards for some years.
“It’s a big part of why we wanted to bring the associate director role in,” Joshua said.
“For our commercial entities we have directors who are appointed and retire by rotation. We wanted to build the depth of capability of Te Atiawa directors who can, in time, serve on our commercial boards.
“We’d be failing in our duty as an iwi if we weren’t looking to grow the capability of our own people to fill these roles.”
Lewis, Kaiurungi/Director of Pupuke Property Consultancy, is a registered property valuer for the commercial real estate industry. He was heavily involved in pre- and post-settlement property valuation advice to iwi in the lower North Island and top of the south. His previous role was General Manager, Property Acquisition and Operations for Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated.
He’s excited about the associate director rolehis first taste of governance.
“It’s an opportunity to contribute the pūkenga and experience I’ve developed in my property career back to the iwi, and to learn off the rangatira, the experienced board directors,” he said.
“We’d be failing in our duty as an iwi if weren’t looking to grow the capability of our own people to fill these roles.”
Joshua Hitchcock
“It’s very exciting. As an iwi member, stepping into this role and getting a wider view of what our iwi are working on, it’s great to see the breadth of ongoing work. The way that the board and management are approaching this is something to be proud of.”
Succession planning was also a factor in Te Kotahitanga’s recent appointment of uri Emma Park (Te Atiawa) as an observer on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.
“It’s about setting us up for the future. It’s really cool to be able to bring two mid-career professionals who have a lot to contribute to Te Atiawa into these sorts of spaces,” Joshua said.
“The aim is to do annual appointments so we can provide opportunities to as many people as possible.”
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Lewis England
Right: Aerial view of Whatu Matarūrū.
Opposite page (clockwise from top left): Hinemaiora Wano-Ruakere hongi with Te Kotahitanga Trustee
