Kāi Tahu ki Whakatāne

Pounamu hui
Our recent pounamu hui was held on 24-25 August at Ngāti Pūkeko Marae at Poroporo, Whakatāne. We were blessed with a perfect first day and the weekend was a fun and informative time for our rōpū, and also a great chance to meet other Kāi Tahu descendants living in our rohe.

It was a weekend to remember, thanks to our hard working committee and our guest speakers from Auckland and Te Puke. The Ngāi Tahu Fund contribution which made it all possible.
Nā Pauline Cottrell.

Ngāti Pūkeko Marae, Whakatāne.

Ngāti Pūkeko Marae, Whakatāne.

Our three amigos (from left), Horomona Tau, Grenville Ham and Philip Kemp.

Our three amigos (from left), Horomona Tau, Grenville Ham and Philip Kemp.

Hiria and Don Shanks, Bones Rissetto from Tāmaki Makaurau taurahere rōpū,Whetu Moataane and Sue Amoamo before the pōwhiri.

Hiria and Don Shanks, Bones Rissetto from Tāmaki Makaurau taurahere rōpū,Whetu Moataane and Sue Amoamo before the pōwhiri.

Hui report
In August Ngāi Tahu ki Whakatāne whānau were welcomed onto Ngāti Pūkeko Marae by Joe and Bunty Mason. The hui was here was because Sandra and Bradford (Brad) Haami have strong connections to the marae and Dr Maaka (Kāi Tahu) served people here his whole life and we wanted to honour his Kāi Tahu connection.

Alongside Brad, Whetu Moataane from the Office of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu spoke on the marae to answer Joe’s whaikōrero.

After the hariru we all had morning tea in the whare kai followed by a group photo. A whakawhanaukataka session was opened by Uncle Joe with a karakia.

Around 60 people arrived to share their whānau lineages. Some people were looking for their Kāi Tahu links but may have not been Kāi Tahu but more Ngāi Kuia and Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri, or Ngāti Koata. Without the whakapapa unit there, it was hard to confirm their identities as Kāi Tahu but we asked them to stay with us in aroha and manaaki.

After lunch, Whetu updated everyone on Kāi Tahu business and gave out registration forms. He was able to answer the people’s questions on identity and business including queries about Whai Rawa. Brad then shared a session on identity and gave a broad outline of the origins of Kāi Tahu from Te Waka o Aoraki and the canoes like Huruhurumanu, Uruao, Araiteuru and then the migration of Tukete; and also the Paikea (Tahupōtiki and Whatiuateramaama lines) people from the east coast including Ngāi Tahu migrations with Tūāhuriri, Tūtekawa, Maru to the south.

Brad also gave us the origin stories of pounamu, which was earmarked as a theme for the gathering. The South Island stories of Hinetuahoanga, Poutini and Tamaahua with his wives were told and connections were made to the local stories in Mataatua. The customs around gathering stone and current Kāi Tahu/Māwhera pounamu-owning rights were shared.

Cherry Tapurau (Kāi Tahu), who lives in Rotorua, shared her working pounamu session on the atea in the sun. She shared her history with the stone and gave a summary of the process of grinding and shaping the stone, and tying bindings to taonga. She showed two beautiful mere pounamu she had made. Others shared their histories with pounamu and also about the mōkihi, which was used to carry the stone down the rivers. People were really drawn to the kaupapa.

On our second day, everyone present went to The Heads at the mouth of the Whakatāne River to see Hinetuahoanga Rock, the largest grindstone/sandstone in Aotearoa. Kaumātua Joe Mason told the local story of the rock and Kāi Tahu whānau were pretty overwhelmed. We saw the biggest stationary hōanga stone in New Zealand at the heads called Hinetuahoanga.

Nā Bradford Haami.

 

Manuhiri arrive at Ngāti Pukeko Marae.

Manuhiri arrive at Ngāti Pukeko Marae.

Group photo outside the wharenui.

Rena May-Hough (left), recipient of Cherry’s newly carved piece of pounamu, and committee member, Oriwia Rehu Murchie.


Kāi Tahu Ki Ōtaki

E ngā uri o Tahu, tēnā tātou.
Tēnei te reo mihi ki a tātou i te puaka o Kana.

Mahi toi
Kei te haere tonu kā mahi kōwhaiwhai. We continue with our kōwhaiwhai kaupapa, under Matene Climie’s (Bluff whānau) guidance. Our tamariki have revealed themselves as the ultimate artists – creative, uninhibited and keen students – kei ruka noa atu koutou. Our major panel will be completed over the next 2-3 hui.

Last month Amiria Carkeek (Bluff whānau) exhibited a hieke/rain cape she created in her first year of Toi Whakarākai studies. The hieke sat alongside other artwork from Te Wānanga o Raukawa students and staff in the Ōtaki Library art space, Ngā Purapura. Amiria used the following materials in the production of her stunning hieke: jute, harakeke, muka, pūkeko feathers and commercial dye. Ka mutu pea te ātaahua o tō mahi, Amiria.

The hieke Amiria Carkeek created in her first year of Toi Whakarākai studies.

The hieke Amiria Carkeek created in her first year of Toi Whakarākai studies.

Ngā kōrero hauora
After 12 years of dialysis Johanna Williams had a kidney transplant on 4 September. Johanna is the eldest mokopuna of Mary Clare (née Bradshaw) and Henry Williams formerly of Bluff, and the eldest child of Mariana Williams and Mathew Wilson. The whānau would like to send love and blessings to the donor for their generosity and selfless act of giving life to our grand-daughter, daughter, mother, sister, auntie and friend. There are no words to express our gratitude and aroha to you for your act of giving and aroha, you will be forever in our prayers and thoughts. Aroha nui, nā te whānau.


Ngāi Tahu ki Tāmaki Makaurau

Annual general meeting
Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau (Inc) are holding their annual general meeting on Saturday 5 October at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae, MIT, Gate 12 Otara Road at 11am. Pōwhiri will be held on Friday 4 October at 5pm.

This will be followed by our kaumātua Kukupa Tirikatene teaching his Ngā Tapuae (level tuatahi) Te Reo wānanga, integrated with karakia and waiata. This will be continued on the Saturday morning before the AGM, and is likely to continue again after the AGM on the Saturday afternoon and on the Sunday morning.Poroporoaki will follow on the Sunday afternoon. Nau mai haere mai whānau. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of our highly knowledgeable and esteemed kaumātua. Please contact Sue Nicoll at [email protected] or 021 113 3777 for more information or to register.

New membership applications
Our Auckland taurahere rōpū, Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Whānui ki Tāmaki Makaurau (Inc) would like to announce that we are now incorporated as a society, and warmly invite applications for membership from all those of Ngāi Tahu (and Ngāti Māmoe, Waitaha) descent living in and around the greater Auckland region, who may not yet be registered with us as a taurahere rōpū. Becoming a registered society is a significant milestone and is a tribute to the hard work of all those involved, and those who have supported our mahi from afar. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

Committee members of our rōpū gather every second month to review items and plan for upcoming events and all members are welcome. The executive committee meet in between each of these meetings. This is an exciting time for us with various events, hui and wānanga coming up – and as always, we are really keen to have as many whānau involved as possible. We welcome your contributions and feedback on what we do, and how we do it. So come on whānau, get involved. Mauri ora.


Ngāi Tahu ki Te Matau a Mauī

Ngā mate
We acknowledge the passing of our Ngāi Tahu whanaunga, Daniel Wakefield Snr (Wekepiri whānau), George Flood, Mrs Natalie Hawkins (Tini whānau) and Damian Rapana Williams (Moa whānau). Moe mai rā, moe mai rā, moe mai i tō moenga roa.

Ngāi Tahu Migration stories and Waiata
On the strength of our first wānanga, we carried on with our kaupapa of whanaungatanga and held another at EIT Te Manga Māori, Te Whanganui o Ōrotu (Napier). Back in the day Ōrotu was a principal chief of Ahuriri (Napier), and was the father of Whatumamoe, whose descendants were later to become the Ngāti Māmoe of Banks Peninsula.

We had a successful turnout of Ngāi Tahu whānau whānui who came to learn the waiata – Manu Tiria, Ka Haea Te Ata and Ka Kitea – and to share their stories of their Ngāi Tahu grandparents. Photographs and whakapapa held us all in good stead over the two-day wānanga, with wonderful manaaki from our ringawera, Mrs Beverley Akurangi and whānau.

Once again we were fortunate to have the gracious Arapata Reuben from Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu whakapapa unit. There was never a dull moment, as whānau kept him busy with questions and queries, an overview of the 1848 Blue Book and whānau whakapapa stories. Kia mau te wehi taku whanaunga a Arapata. Mihi ora, mihi mahana ki a koe.

Last but not least, we thank the Ngāi Tahu ki Te Matau a Māui whānau whānui, our hard working steering group (Bruce Wakefield, Koro Te Whaiti, Thelma Manaena, Beverley and Zayana Akurangi), the Ngāi Tahu Fund and Whetu Moataane for their awhi (support) of our taurahere. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Areas of Interest
From these wānanga, our whānau identified three areas of interest (along with our whakapapa and migration stories), that we will be focusing on over the next months. These areas are rangatahi/tamariki activities, te reo wānanga and waiata/kapa haka. If any whānau with strengths in these areas – or any other area under our taurahere kaupapa – are keen to run a wānanga, please contact me on 022 392 7929 or 06 211 0943 to leave a message. Nā Thelma Manaena.


Ngāi Tahu ki Taranaki

Ngā mate
Ngā mihi nui ki ngā whanaunga Kāi Tahu.
My husband, Patrick Kume Hina of Ngā Rauru descent, sadly passed away in Hospice Whanganui on the 22 May 2013.

My husband was my biggest supporter and he was instrumental in helping me when I started the Ngāi Tahu ki Taranaki Waitangi Day event in 2009, and in making possible every Waitangi Day celebration after.

He worked tirelessly during those Waitangi Day events at Ashley Park, Waitōtara. He helped with cooking the hāngī, with security, setting up the tents, posting the signs around the area, welcoming the manuhiri and always making everyone smile. At the end of the events, he tidied up every single piece of paper on the ground and he removed all rubbish. He made the events work for everyone who attended. ( I also thank Ngāi Tahu for financial support received for staging our Waitangi Day events).

My husband was my backbone and I miss him so much. Patrick was in the New Zealand Army for 19 years. His regiment number was AT34022 and he was in 5WWCT Battalion. L/CPL. Nā Virginia Hina.

Patrick Kume Hina.

Patrick Kume Hina.

Virginia and her late husband, Patrick.

Virginia and her late husband, Patrick.