Kaiārahi Ngāi Tahutanga project
The mahi Matapura Ellison has been doing with the Kaiārahi Ngāi Tahutanga Project progressed with a Memorandum of Partnership Agreement signing with the East Otago primary schools of Warrington, Karitāne, Palmerston and Pūrākaunui, as well as East Otago High School. The guest speaker was Upoko David Ellison, and Marewa Preddy signed the MoPs on behalf of the rūnaka. We also listened to Henare Manawatu, Kaiwhiri Mātauraka, explain the philosophy behind the project. The intention of the MoPs is to acknowledge Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka as the recognised Treaty partner of each school and to strengthen the relationship between them.
Brendan Holt, Karitāne School board, Nic Phillips, Karitāne School Principal, Marewa Preddy and Matapura Ellison.
“Titiro ki te moana ki ngā tai o Karitāne, he Pīpīwharauroa kei tua”
He karanga tēnei ki ō tātou tini whanaunga puta noa kia tae mai ki ngā haratau waiata ki te Marae o Puketeraki. On a monthly basis our people will be coming together to learn old and new songs from our kaik, Puketeraki. We would like to encourage all our whānau to learn some of our waiata and listen to the stories that are imbedded in those waiata. Our first gathering was on 29 June. To find out more please contact the rūnaka office for more details.
A lively waiata session at Puketeraki Marae, 10th anniversary of Huirapa and Maririhau.
Te Reo Rangatahi i Otago update
The rūnaka has held the MoE contract for this programme for the past eight years and we have just been given an extension of another 18 months. Our facilitator Kopua Waititi finished his contract in mid-April and we were delighted to be able to bring on board Alex Whitaker, Waitati Whakairo, to replace Kopua. Alex has been extremely busy since he started, recruiting new tutors and holding hui for the programme, which is the Māori-based component of Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC). We were lucky that Alex had been tutoring on the programme before taking up the facilitator position, so it was an easy transition between the two roles. The programme is more and more popular as time goes on and our hardest job is trying to make sure we don’t go over our targeted numbers. Welcome Alex.
Clockwise from left: Alex Whitaker (facilitator), Kane Holmes, Amber Bridgman, Heidi Hapi (with daughter), Kiri Parata-Noema.