New director elected

We are pleased to announce the election of Dr.Graham Strong as Independent Director to Pūketeraki Ltd, the rūnaka investment company.  Graham’s whakapapa links him to Murihiku though he lives near Roxburgh and works at Otago University, as a manager with Otago Innovation Ltd. We enjoyed meeting Graham at the election meeting and we think he brings some excellent skills and whakaaro to the board of Puketeraki Ltd.

We were unable to fill the second vacancy on the board so will be re-advertising for a rūnaka member to join the board of Puketeraki Ltd in the near future.

Gisele Laven and rūnaka members receiving a kōwhai from Dr. Graham Strong that he has grown from seed.

Gisele Laven and rūnaka members receiving a kōwhai from Dr. Graham Strong that he has grown from seed.

New staff member

Tēnā koutou katoa. It’s great to be back home after an awesome year on the road exploring different kaupapa Māori and communities. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make connections and also build long sustainable relationships that help carry out kaupapa.

We ended our kaupapa on top of Paritutu in Taranaki, where we saw the rising of 2014 and the new beginning of better things. What are those better things? Well, that word is simply Karitāne. Yes whānau, I have returned home and have officially started mahi with Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki working as kaiāwhina whānau, which is set up to help assist our whānau re-connect with marae, hapū, iwi, whānau and whenua.

I am very honoured and privileged to have been given this opportunity to work alongside our people for a kaupapa that helps whānau be comfortable for who they are and where they come from. So on that note, if you’re ever in Karitāne, don’t be shy to come around for a cuppa. If you have any enquires you can email me on [email protected]

Nā Waiariki Parata- Taiapa

Waiariki Parata-Taiapa.

Waiariki Parata-Taiapa.

Whakahaumanu Puketeraki – Whakapapa o te whare wānaka

Another in the series of wānaka to explore whakapapa links across the whānau of Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki was recently held at the marae.  The wānaka started by re-capping the whakapapa ‘journey’ we have been on for the last two years, which commenced with visiting the first settlements of our Ngāi Tahu tūpuna in the Marlborough Sounds in January 2012. We then followed their journey southward, as we learnt about the early encounters of Ngāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu.  We paid particular attention to the time of Taoka and Te Wera and their whanaunga as they settled in coastal Otago.

The recent wānaka was intended to draw together those strands of whakapapa to identify where we connect and to provide the kōrero for inside our whare. Unfortunately, we learnt we need to do more research about our own whakapapa to achieve that, so we have decided to hold another wānaka in June or July.  The challenge is out to all our whānau to find out more about your tūpuna, to build the picture of who they were and where they lived.