Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka

Tēnā tātou e te whānau

We hope that you managed to enjoy some whānau time over the Easter break and were able to attend one of the many events that were scheduled to commemorate ANZAC Day.

If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last month, or have new additions to your whānau, congratulations, wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead.

Dr Theresa Pankhurst graduates her PhD in vaccine immunology ahead of secondment to the University of Cambridge

Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka congratulates Dr Theresa Pankhurst (mokopuna of Marjorie Manaena née Gutsell, and descendant of Mere Wehikore and James Leader of Aparima) who graduated with a PhD in Biomedical Science at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.

Hou

Nau mai e te pēpi ki te ao marama! Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu. Proud parents Anna Brankin (Ōraka Aparima, Awarua, Waihōpai, Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki) and James MacTaggart (Ngāti Waewae, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Wairewa, Ngāti Wheke) are delighted to welcome their first pēpi, Cassie Whareraki MacTaggart. Born on 24 February in Ōtautahi, Cassie is the treasured mokopuna of Karen Jackson (née Cook) and Joe Brankin, and John and Raewyn MacTaggart (née Ferguson).

In 2022, she became the inaugural recipient of Te Urungi Fellowship that has enabled her to incorporate aspects of Te Ao Māori into both her research as well as her personal journey as Māori. Te Urungi Fellowship has also provided her with the opportunity to gain international expertise in vaccine immunology –this year she is being seconded to the Babraham Institute at the University of Cambridge in the UK to work with Dr Michelle Linterman, a leading researcher in germinal centre B cell biology and vaccine immunology. We wish Theresa all the best for her future research.

Rarotoka working trips

Over the last few months, we have had a couple of volunteer working trips to the island. The focus of these trips has been primarily around the preparation and painting of the houses which has been identified as a priority. To date we have had a small and dedicated team who have been working away on this mahi. A huge thank you to them for their dedication and time. If you’d like to volunteer to help on any of these trips, please contact us here at the office for further information.

Kasmira Peterson – Kaitiaki Taiao

Tēnā koutou, Ko Kasmira Peterson tōku ingoa (Ngāi Tahu/Tūhoe). It is with great privilege and pleasure I join the team at ŌrakaAparima Rūnaka as Kaitiaki Taiao. Myself, my husband, and our eightyear-old son have lived in Riverton/

Aparima for the last three years having relocated from the Eastern Bay of Plenty. We absolutely love the natural beauty of this takiwā, and my passion for the outdoors is what motivates my sense of responsibility to follow on in the footsteps of my tīpuna to preserve our natural treasures.

Having spent the last 17 years working in the public sector, I am very much looking forward to working with our whānau and iwi-katoa in the taiao space, promoting and supporting the interests, aspirations, and values of mana whenua.

Membership

You are probably reading this pānui because you or a whānau member are registered with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Do you know that each Papatipu Rūnanga exercise rangatiratanga in respect of their membership? Some automatically add you to their list as soon as you register with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu while others like us, run a separate registration process. Please note that in all cases it will be necessary to authenticate your whakapapa details. Please contact us here on 03 234 8192 or office@orakaaparima.org.nz if you would like to register or have any questions at all about our membership process.

Matariki Raranga Wānanga, 21-23 July

Join kaiako tāua Rangimaria Suddaby and kairaranga matua Des Cooper for a Matariki Raranga wānanga to learn the traditional Māori practice of raranga /harakeke weaving. This wānanga is being jointly hosted by Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust and Te Anau Waitangi Charitable Trust and will be held at at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu Lodge in the Jericho Valley near Blackmount, Southland. This wānanga is aimed at beginners and will teach the traditional techniques of weaving with harakeke. We will explore and discuss the processes, traditions and tikanga around weaving as well as how to nurture the plant and how to harvest sustainably. All materials and resources are provided.

The wānanga includes:

• A 2.5-day weaving wānanga suitable for beginners

• Two nights at Te Kōawa Lodge

• Kai and refreshments for the weekend

• A Matariki celebration evening. There will be a cost for the wānanga. Details are still being finalised but if you are interested and would like to receive further information, please email Vanessa at info@tewaiaumahikakaitrust.co.nz

Please look out for further details on our Facebook page or website: www.facebook.com/MahingaKaiMitigation www.tewaiaumahikakaitrust.co.nz

Holiday Home in Te Anau

Did you know that we have a comfortable house for whānau to rent in Te Anau? This property sleeps eight and is located in the heart of the town. It is within walking distance of all amenities and only a short distance from many of the tourist opportunities the region has to offer. Please contact the office for further details or to make a booking. Please note also that this is property is used by whānau and as such should not be treated like a motel. You will be required to leave the place clean and tidy for the next person on departure.

Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu

This is a culturally significant venue with facilities to sleep 20 plus people. It is locatedin the beautiful Jericho valley approximately 40kms from Te Anau. There are excellent opportunities for biking, walking, hunting, and fishing in the local area. Contact us here at the office for details.

Te Pānui Rūnaka Submissions

We welcome your submissions for this pānui. Please feel free to send anything you’d like to share with us. Whether this be whānau achievements sports, education, or anything else of interest. Please make a caption for your photos (which should be in jpeg format) and name the people in the photos. Please send all submissions to: office@orakaaparima.org.nz