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Tangata tōmua, whenua tōmuri
Half yearly hui ki Taiporohēnui
It was here in 1854 that the Taranaki Māori Land League was formed, unified around the central agreement that no more whenua should be sold without general consent, and that disputes between Māori should be decided by tribal rūnanga, not under European jurisdiction.
It is from this significant event and kōrero, that our vision of He Tāngata, He Whenua, He Oranga is inspired, and the commitment of that hui to future generations has been a legacy the Incorporation has carried since its own inception in 1976.
Te Rau Toi Ariki / PKW Chair Dion Tuuta spoke to the history of the Taranaki land confiscations - 1,244,300 acres (503,550 ha) taken in total – and the impact that has had on Taranaki Māori throughout the generations and to the present day.
“The history of our whenua has shaped who we are as a kaupapa, our purpose, and our commitment to those both past and to come,” he says. “In or about 1968, a collective call to action was made to the owners of the West Coast Settlement Reserves to have confidence in ourselves, to insist that we stand firm against the Government offer to buy our shares, and to take control of our whenua, build up its value by good management and pass on something that will still be of practical benefit to our children and mokopuna, something of which they can be proud, something that will be a living memorial to this present generation.”
“Now we work to serve our Rau Titikura whānau, and their future generations. Te Iho, our identity and touchstone for the future, reaffirms our vision, mission and values with the addition of our purpose ‘To make positive contributions to the prosperity of our people, protect our whenua tupuna, and build wealth that enriches future generations’.”
A sense of Place and Pride is a key element in the refreshed strategy, supporting the reconnection of Te Rau Titikura to the whenua, together with hapū and iwi.
“Our relationship with the whenua is synonymous with the relationships PKW hold with hapū,” says Te Rau Matomato Aisha Ross. “These relationships are very important to us, and we take an active approach to nurturing and strengthening them.”
“Working together with hapū ensures we achieve shared success and the positive outcomes that are experienced by our owners and Taranaki Māori as a whole. There are many opportunities to be explored and the strength of our relationships will be integral now and into the future.”
The refreshed Rautaki 2033 emphasises the need to balance the investment Papatupu (portfolio) and to smooth out the volatility of assets within the existing portfolio.
“To deliver on our mission to provide meaningful opportunity through a sustainable business, we need to continue to build further resilience into our portfolio. Opportunities such as renewable energy and property development could assist in meeting this objective,” says Aisha.
“The current cost of doing business, and the need to manage those costs, is something that resonates with Te Rau Titikura because parallels can be drawn with the cost of living and impact of inflation on whānau working hard to sustain their own livelihoods. Te Rau Titikura have shown a good level of support for the opportunities we have explored and identified to take us forward as a business, along with clear and insightful feedback.”
An update of business performance was also presented at the hui, which was well-attended, with many Rau Titikura travelling from around the motu to be present.
Favourable weather conditions on farm saw milk production volumes exceed expectations and the kōura investment generated respectable cashflows for the
Incorporation in the first part of the year, but the second half has been far more challenging, with extremely dry conditions impacting production and additional farm costs.
Highlights of the year so far were mentioned, with the start of the Mangaoapa Forest harvesting, positive outcomes from the Taiao team mahi, and the Te Rau Titikura roadshows all included.
The half-yearly hui included an update from Te Rau Manawaora / PKW Trust, presented by Te Rau Toi Tauira / Chair Liana Poutu.
She was pleased to inform the hui that there had been 186 applications from ākonga for educational grants and scholarships and that community mātauranga grants for Taranaki Tū Mai Festival ki Ngāti Tama; Our Taranaki rōpū representing the mounga at Mana Kuratahi Kapa Haka Nationals; and Taranaki Whānui Māori Rugby League had also been awarded.
The Trust has also supported Aotearoa Pā and the redevelopment of the whare Te Kuia through its Marae grants, and worked with 22 scholarship partners, two more than last year.
Dean Kahu made a presentation about the importance of the support he received from the Trust in the form of the Te Reo Rangatira scholarship last year. This award, worth $50,000, supports Taranaki whānui to gain fluency and confidence in te reo me ōna tikanga by providing a financial incentive to cover living costs and to keep the home fires burning while they are studying.
Born and raised in the rohe of Pakakohi, Manutahi Marae chairman Dean knows all about the commitment needed to reclaim te reo Māori for his whānau, marae and iwi as he moved to Auckland to study te reo Māori full-time in a one-year rumaki reo programme at Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.
Liana also introduced this year’s recipients of the award, Charles Walters and Ana Pue. They are both enrolled in full immersion programmes - Charles at Te Tohu Paetahi in Tauranga Moana and Ana at Te Pūtaketanga o Te Reo in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Te Rau Titikura joined a bus tour to Te Ruru (Meremere Road), where Te Poihi Campbell gave a kōrero on the history of the whenua, alongside the Taiao and Farms management on how Te Ruru will become a thriving biodiversity hub. They also saw the infrastructure improvements that have been made.
“Te Rau Titikura continue to affirm their support and appreciation of the commitment and mahi of Te Rau Rengarenga / Committee of Management and kaimahi, and the ambition to continue to build a legacy that we are proud of,” says Aisha.
