Ko te māriri e rere atu ana ki ngā mate huhua huri noa i te motu whānui. Nei ko te iwi e matapōrehu ana, e tangi mōteatea ana mō koutou.

Nā koutou mātou i whakarangatira ai i roto i ngā mahi hei hāpai, hei ārahi i a mātou i tēnei ao kōmiro.

Nō reira e ngā tini aituā o te wā, whakawhiti atu rā i te pae o maumahara kia noho mai nā i ngā manaakitanga o te wāhi ngaro, ki te kāinga wairua i te rangi. Okioki mai rā.

Kāti, rātou ki a rātou, tātou te urupā kanohi o rātou mā ki a tātou e tau nei. Tēnā tātou.

Tēnā tātou i runga i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā. Kua tau mai te makariri ki runga i a tātou, ā, ko te tūmanako ia e whitawhita ana te ahi i te kāinga kia mahana ai te ngākau me te wairua o te tangata. Kia kaha tātou ki te tiaki i tātou anō. Ka nui te whakamiha ki a koutou. Mauri ora e te iwi.

Earlier this month I was invited to speak to the joint Iwi-Council liaison committee in Murihiku – Te Rōpū Taiao. I shared information about the Iwi Chairs Forum, the structure of the organisation, how it works and the importance of collaboration, not only among iwi, but also with central and local government. This led in to a discussion on our perspective on water, particularly in terms of our dealings with central government.

I shared our commitment to protecting and enhancing the natural resources within our takiwā and the work that still needs to be done to ensure iwi are given appropriate voice and influence at all levels of water management.

I also acknowledged the relationship Papatipu Rūnanga have with local government and the wider community and their commitment to advance engagement and collaboration.

The following week I delivered a similar message at an international Parks Forum Co-Governance and Co-Management hui at Te Papa Tongarewa. The objective of this hui was to foster collaboration, build respect and facilitate the sharing of knowledge in relation to National Parks in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the United States.

I strongly advocated for indigenous rights in our national parks and the continuation of our living relationship with the natural environment.

Across the world indigenous peoples have been excluded in the management and decision-making of these special places. The strategy to conserve biodiversity through national parks and marine reserves continues to diminish or subvert the ability of indigenous people to access and connect with their cultural assets and traditional resources.

By being engaged with the environment we sustain ourselves and our identity.

Excitement filled the wharenui at Rehua Marae in early June as Te Matatini qualifiers waited anxiously to find out the performance order for the upcoming national kapa haka competition.

We have eight months to go until the motu arrives on our doorstep for Te Matatini 2015. The draw placed the 45 groups in order. For our local groups, both Te Pao a Tahu and Te Ahikōmau a Hamoterangi were drawn to perform on day one in the Te Ihu pool and Ngā Manu a Tāne will perform on day three in the Te Kei section.

The draw was live-streamed on the Te Matatini website and broadcasted on Tahu FM. Congratulations to all 45 groups and we look forward to seeing you all take the stage in March next year.