Kaikōura Rūnanga

Te Tau Wairehu o Marokura Predator Control Project

Kia ora koutou e te whānau!

Wow Hakihea is here! As we fast approach the silly season, we have taken time to reflect on the past year. We reflect on the mahi that has been achieved over this rollercoaster of a year and to celebrate the individual and collective successes that our waka has captured in abundance!

Gaining so many vital skills to ensure we can carry out the trapping mahi, bird monitoring, and all other aspects the kaupapa has incorporated into it. With our line of mahi we have been able to uphold our values and follow tikanga Māori, which has been an individual growth seen in all of us, as we become more and more connected to our culture through our daily mahi.

As awesome as we are, it has not all been a walk in the park. From the beginning it was all hard! It was the blind leading the blind and to be confident in something you know nothing about …is not easy! We were constantly tweaking systems & processes to get them working seamlessly. We spent hours planning after planning on top of planning…three-hour hui later…we still planning! But we did it! And although we have a lot more work to do in 2023, we can hang our boots up, feeling proud of what we have accomplished individually and as a whānau in the year of 2022.

So ngā mihi to you all for following us on our journey and providing the tautoko we needed to push through and get it done! We wish all our whānau out there a safe & happy time over summer and we look forward to delighting you with our ātaahua faces next year.

If any whānau have any questions or would like to receive our TWOM Pānui, please feel free to email rawinia.thomas@ngaitahu.iwi.nz

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Janice Moana and Henare Gemmell

Ngā Uri o Mangamaunu wish to acknowledge kaumātua Janice Moana and Henare Gemmell of Mangamaunu north of Kaikōura who are celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Their marriage took place on 17 November 1962 at the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Barbadoes Street. The wedding attendants were Raymund Giovanni Maru Jacobs, Paul Monroe, Toni Fuller and Judy Chaston and officiated by Sm J Cuneen who later became the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch. In the 1970s Jan worked for Fr. Barry Jones setting up ‘Good Shepherd House’ on Innes Road in St. Albans a new Theological Training Centre for future Priests. He since became Monsignor Barry Jones.

Moana worked for Tipu Ora, an initiative between Ngāi Tahu and Rotorua a well child program of which she had the opportunity to study at Te Whare Wānanga O Waitaha for Mātauranga Māori, History and Business Studies. A Ngāi Tahu Business Course at Polytechnic on Madras Street with tutors Hana O’Regan and Tahu Potiki.

Jan was a keen netballer representing her hometown at Dunedin Nationals in 1961, She played for Lane Walker Rudkins a Social team representing Canterbury 4th grade and Technical College second grade coached by Cath Brown of Te Taumutu. In between childbirth she played for Collegiate Senior Reserve grade in Invercargill and encouraged her daughters in netball through the grades.

The Gemmell whānau were kapa haka enthusiasts and performed at Polynesian Festival with Ōtautahi Cultural Club. Henry was the Waitaha Representative for the Club and Stage Manager for the Waitaha Council.

Henry was an old boy from Rehua Hostel who did the Trade Training scheme for Māori boys living at the marae on Springfield Road in St. Albans. He was one of the old boys featured in the ‘White Sheep’ in Wairoa by Mike McRoberts from TV 1. He has had a varied work history which took him to Murihiku freezing works to working on the Dams both Manapouri and Te Anau where the family lived in the Manapouri Housing complex.

Further to earlier Years he was a Senior Rugby player for Waikiwi Club and Alliance teams in Southland including an Invitation team in Te Anau. Two of the team were selected and travelled to Invercargill to train for the Māori All Blacks. He worked as a carpenter at Tiwai Point, playing social rugby there, having moved back to Invercargill. Later years he played for Merivale Papanui combined Club then coached Shirley U18 getting 3 players into the Reps. His more recent coaching was ‘Ōtautahi’ Māori Club Seniors.

In 1976 the call to return home to spend time with grandparents saw new opportunities for their five daughters who were educated at St.Patricks School in Southland, Christ the King Primary, Burnside and Villa Maria College in Christchurch.

In 1983 an opportunity to be a Slaughterman Supervisor at Belfast Freezing works until redundancy in 2008. He was presented with the long serving 25 Year Gold Watch unworn to this day. This enabled him to work part-time and plan for retirement.

In 1990 sub-division of their property and a Town House was built.

In 2010 a pull to return to Jan’s Tūrangawaewae was to build their dream retirement home at Mangamaunu. Apart from the isolation from their whānau who are scattered from Tāmaki Makaurau, Melbourne and Dubai they live a peaceful lifestyle in a serene environment nestled between Ngā Maunga and Te Moana nui a Kiwa.

Moana served on the Komiti in 1998 which took Ngā Uri o Mangamaunu to Ngāi Tahu to becoming the 19th Papatipu! She served as Executive Treasurer for Ngā Uri during 1997-1998 and 2015-2018 for a further 3 years.

Their whānau of 5 daughters are Rosalind Ranui, Jo Ann Channell Gemmell-Harris, Janine Fleur Gemmell, Bronwyn Rata and Wanda Monique Gemmell.

They are proud of their 15 Grandchildren and 5 Greatgrandchildren of which they have dedicated their hard work and lives to leaving a legacy a home built on Jan’s Tūrangawaewae me Ahi Kā of her whānau named ‘TAUREWA’ after her father Jim Jacobs.

Also, a legacy from Jan’s mother Mary Edna Waruhe of which she and siblings inherited the historical Kaiwhare Native Land Block to this day.

Health reasons prevented a planned trip to Melbourne to visit the latest Great Grandchild Kauri Kiwa Ripikoi Thompson and newly built whare of Kama, tona mokopuna matamua o te whānau.

Nō reira Kia ora tātou, tēnā koutou katoa.