Nā te Kaiwhakahaere

Whakaraupō to Koukourarata, arriving in time for the pōwhiri.

The 100 years, 1000 memories kōrero gave whānau the opportunity to learn more about the history of Tūtehuarewa. Tamariki were catered for with a range of activities, games, and even a karaoke session while parents could browse the stalls, attend a panel discussion, or watch the kapa haka performances. Whānau were also given the opportunity to learn the official waiata of the centenary Tūtehuarewa E Taua E. I tautoko Te Rūnaka o Koukourarata for hosting a beautiful event.

Kia

ora e te whānau,

Kai kā ihoiho o kā mauka whakahī o te motu, tēnā rā tātau i kā āhuataka o te wā. Nāia te reo whakamiha e toro atu nei ki tēnā, ki tēnā o tātau e whakapau kaha ana ki te whakatutuki i te huhua o kā mahi puta noa i ō tātau tini takiwā. Anei rā he kohikohika kōrero o kā piki me kā heke ko pahemo ake i tēnei wā o te tau. Kai aku rakatira, tēnā koutou, otirā tēnā tātau katoa.

It is hard to believe how quickly this year is speeding by. It was wonderful to hear that many of you came together as a wider whānau to celebrate the centenary of Tūtehuarewa whare at Koukourarata over Easter weekend.

The weekend began with the spectacular arrival of Ngāi Tahu waka Kōtukumairangi, which paddled from

While it was pleasing for Koukourarata to mark this milestone, I understand it was bittersweet as whānau reflected on and remembered whānau and tīpuna who are no longer with us. I send my condolences to them, including the whānau of Hineari ‘Hine’ Daken who passed away recently. Aunty/Taua Hine played a huge role in the life and times of Tūtehuarewa over many years. She was excited and supportive of the centenary event being a true ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for all. She will be greatly missed.

In late March the New Zealand leg of Sail GP was held at Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour. Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke welcomed SailGP manuhiri to Rāpaki Marae during a pōwhiri the day before racing began. Kōtukumairangi set out to transfer the SailGP boat captains from their SailGP vessel to the Rāpaki foreshore. After the pōwhiri, manuhiri enjoyed a delicious hākari prepared by our Rāpaki whānau.

Around 15,000 people attended the two-day weekend event in person and it was broadcast to an estimated global audience of 50 million. Ngāti Wheke worked with Okains Bay Museum to display some of their waka taonga at their marquee in the race village. They also generously shared the story of Kōtukumairangi, our waka tangata, with those in attendance.

Kā mihi ki a koutou. My thanks to Rāpaki and all whānau and volunteers who worked so hard over the past few months to bring this event to life.

We recognise that the recovery and rebuild following February’s devastating Cyclone Gabrielle will be an enormous task. While it may no longer feature in the daily news headlines, our extended East Coast whanaunga and many others are still struggling with the lasting impact of the cyclone. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has committed $1 million to assist whānau, hapū, iwi and marae on the East Coast where our whakapapa connections are.

Thank you e te whānau for your generosity – alongside our Ngāi Tahu Relief Fund, we have received more than $100,000 in donations from Papatipu Rūnanga and whānau to go towards the cyclone recovery. We really appreciate your ongoing support.

In March, our Whānau and Emergency Response team quickly gathered a huge quantity of essential supplies and got them onboard the HMNZS Canterbury which headed to Napier and Gisbourne. Twelve pallets in total were loaded, containing gas bottles, Emergency Packs or Go Bags, blankets and towels. We also loaded twenty generators and worked with Westpac who contributed 1,000 litres of water, as well as nappies and toilet paper.

We continue to work with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the New Zealand Defence Force, Iwi leaders, as well as local and central government officials to provide appropriate support where we can.

It was exciting to see the launch of the Kāi Tahu Book Club early March on World Book Day. Each month Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu will review a new book centered in Te Ao Māori on our social media channels. These books will vary from novels, to myths, to political essays, to children’s books and more. Keep an eye out for giveaways e te whānau.

The launch of the book club coincided with the release of Bubba Thompson and Dr Michael Stevens new book, Te Ara A Kiwa. With translations from Paulette TamatiElliffe, the book represents a way for tamariki both locally and nationwide to learn and understand local place names, deep dive into the history of the Motupōhue

(Bluff) area and celebrate te reo Māori. Congratulations to Bubba, Michael, and Paulette on your incredible kaupapa.

It was wonderful to see Te Matatini go ahead in Tāmaki Makaurau in February. All teams who performed in the 50th iteration of the competition were spectacular. Each of our three Waitaha teams who represented Te Waipounamu should be incredibly proud of their efforts. Te Matatini named Mātaatua representatives Te Whānau a Apanui as this year’s winners of the Ngāpō Pimia Wehi Duncan McIntyre trophy and the championship title of Te Matatini 2023.

Remember e te whānau, the School Starter Packs are back, so if you know of tamariki turning five, make sure their whānau contacts the Ngāi Tahu Grants team to ensure they recieve a pack. Each School Starter Pack includes a jacket, lunch box, drink bottle, stationary, pounamu, and more. All registered Ngāi Tahu tamariki turning five who are enrolled in primary school and living in New Zealand or overseas can receive a School Starter Pack. (All tamariki who have turned five since July 1 2022 are also eligble). The Ngāi Tahu Grants team are available to answer any pātai you may have about the packs, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0800 KAI TAHU or by emailing – schoolstarterpack@ngaitahu. iwi.nz

As winter draws closer I encourage you to provide manaaki to whānau and remain vigilant as we approach the cooler months. Please continue to stay home when you are māuiui and wash your hands often.

While the cooler months see us often staying indoors, I look forward to celebrating Matariki as an extended whānau in July – stay tuned in to our social media channels over the next few months to be the first to hear about events happening in your rohe to mark Matariki.

Stay warm and take care e te whānau, Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

Lisa Tumahai Kaiwhakahaere