Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga

ANZAC Day in the pā

What a beautiful day ANZAC Day was with the sun shining. We had our biggest attendance in many years and was lovely to see whānau come and support this day of remembrance. Many thanks to our ringawera for putting on a lovely kai and cleaning up afterwards.

Rangiora to Picton and back again

Wednesday 29 March, 7.00am and it’s raining, cold and downright miserable. That did not stop 26 sets of chattering teeth boarding the early morning train. And so began the Ngāi Tūāhuriri kaumātua trip from Rangiora to Picton.

You can feel the excitement starting to rise as everyone starts to relax and thaw. Coffee, tea and kai appears out of carry bags and for my first trip as a kaumatua this adventure is one I looked forward to.

After such a cold start to the day, to arrive in Picton, sunlight and warmth bouncing off the water our accommodation was a welcome sight, somewhere to stretch and to settle ourselves. The rest of the day was free time, deciding where to have dinner and having a wee scout about.

Our 2nd day we took a trip out to Furneaux Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds. There we all enjoyed the fabulous hospitality the Lodge staff had to offer. Some of our kaumātua have mobility issues and were treated with the utmost respect to their conditions. Lunch was so tasty, and we had some time to look around, throw an impromptu sing along before we headed back to Picton. On our journey back, passengers aboard were treated to the sight of dolphins playing around the boat. Now that was a thrill and the video I took is breathtaking.

Our trip was off to a fantastic start, filled with stories and infectious laughter causing belly aches that lasted for hours. And such was the meaning of the trip.

I shared accommodation with four others, and we found that we had a common denominator. All five of us were whāngai and from there came the stories, an appreciation of our individual upbringing.

I suppose no adventure is noteworthy unless there is a story to be told, and the adage of what goes on tour stays on tour. But I am sure with no insult towards our tin of salmon, coined as being a bit of a hooker, would be frowned upon. That tin of salmon did the rounds of most of the rooms in the Hotel, made its way through the Sounds (so a reliable source told me) in hope that someone would enjoy the contents of what was within. However, that tin of salmon always found its way back to our accommodation. The shame of rejection, Room 301 whāngai it and it returned with us back to Rangiora!

The guitar appeared on our wait for the train home, and entertain those around us, we certainly did, with many songs that carried onto the train for the journey home.

Nowadays on the train, you will not find the good old Kiwi pies that used to be in the warmer. The tea and coffee have greatly improved. There is no clickety clack of the wheels on the track and the seating is comfy as. A real smooth ride.

It was three days of feeling part of a greater story, that in years to come as I get older and younger kaumātua come on board, we will share with each other time that becomes precious. And the phrase “I remember when” is said with a smile in the telling.

I’m sure that it would be remiss not to say ‘thank you’ to Hutika and Israel for their tireless energy in helping those who needed assistance, both of you are shining gems.

So, here is to our next “there and back again” journey. I hope there will be more of us to share those outings together.

Nā,

Kathleen Casey

Ko Maungatere te maunga

Ko Rakahuri te awa

Ko Tūāhuriri te tangata

Ko Tuahiwi te marae

Ko Ngāi Tūāhuriri te hapū

Ko Ngāi Tahu te iwi

Ko Joanne Barrett tōku ingoa

In 2021 I won the Titirangi Community Arts Council 2021 Emerging Artist Award with my work ‘Earthed on Night Dew’. The theme for the award was ‘Reimagining Nature’; how connecting with nature supports physical and mental wellbeing. I created ‘Earthed on Night Dew’ to reflect a reawakening of our inherent existence, and interconnections with all living beings. Carved textural lines denote whakapapa – to know where we come from establishes a solid foundation from which to stand and acknowledge identity. The pou whenua remind us to stand quietly on the damp of the night dew so as to earth our body, release anxiety, and generate inner peace.

Hoana Burgman (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungungu ki Wairarapa) is Kaumātua Chair of the Ngāi Tahu Tū Āhuriri Rūnanga. She helped re-establish the Māori Women’s Welfare League Tuahiwi branch and was President and Secretary. She was a founding member of Te Waihora Management Board and helped establish a joint management plan for Te Waihora Lake. She was a Trustee of Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust, responsible for 700 hectares of native coastal wetland. She is a founding member of Mahaanui Kurataiao Shareholder Board, driving a collaborative approach to Resource Management Act engagement by mana whenua. Mrs Burgman helped develop an Iwi Management Plan, guiding external parties on mana whenua values. Congratulations Aunty, we are all so proud!

As winner of the Titirangi Community Arts Council 2021 Emerging Artist Award I was afforded a solo exhibition at Upstairs Gallery in Lopdell House, in Titirangi, Auckland.

‘Tīramarama te Marama’ was one of 11 works I created for my exhibition ‘Exist Truthfully –Tū Pono’ and was based on my poem of the same title.

The intention was to stimulate a higher level of consciousness around nature’s rhythms and interconnections with all living beings. Textural lines denote whakapapa of the people and of the land. Understated colours create a quietness that allows us to get present to our own connection with the whenua such that the viewer questions –how do I stand upon the land?