Kua tae mai te tau hou. Ka noho tahi te iwi i te taha o te ahi i kā pō roroa. Ko te eaka o Puaka i te rāwhiti te tohu o te tau hou. Ka takihia kā mate o te tau tawhito, ka pōwhiritia hoki te tau hou. Kā hurika wāhaka, kā mahi, me kā karakia he whakamaharataka ki kā tikaka tuku iho, hai hāpai i tā tātou noho ināianei. Tēnei arohanui he titiro ki te rawakore, me ō rātou hiahia i ruka i te kākau māhaki, kia kauraka hoki e whakawā i a rātou. Ekari me āwhina, he tuku mihi atu, he whakaaro nui ki a rātou. Ka kitea a Puaka, ka rere te kanakana. Mauri ora ki a tātou.

Hoki mai

One of our whānau members, Aaron Leith, along with his whānau–wife Claire and tamariki James and Hana–has recently returned to Ōtautahi from Murihiku, to take up a new role as Programme Leader Puna Mahara, Tribal Interests at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. He will be working in the areas of cultural heritage, tribal properties and natural resources. Aaron says “he is looking forward to catching up with Wairewa whānau, and working with Papatipu Rūnanga in the new role”. Nau mai, hoki mai Aaron.

Aaron, Claire, James and Hana Leith.

Aaron, Claire, James and Hana Leith.

Summer internship for Native Americans

I am a PhD student at Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato. Recently I was supported by the Native American and Indigenous Studies programme at University of Texas and University of Waikato to attend the 2014 Summer Internship for Native Americans in Genomics (SING) workshop in Austin, Texas from 1-7 June. In preparation for the internship, I had to brush up on ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research and also scientific and basic genetics.

I was extremely honoured and grateful to have been one of 12 who were selected. I was the only indigenous person from Aotearoa. Other participants were from Mexico, Canada, America and Hawaii. I was also the only participant who came from a law discipline. I have requested to present my findings on Genomics, the Human Genomic project, which is a story of the good, bad and sad, in August at my Papatipu Rūnanga bi-monthly meeting in Wairewa. Whilst in Texas, my initial thoughts are that genomics challenges the very cultural concepts that we centre our lives on. If I was asked in a few words what are my thoughts today about the knowledge that I have gained it would be this: “lockup their DNA, as the gene hunters are coming”.

My PhD, will further explore and, more so, expose instances in which tribes have internalised and embraced the tactics of the colonisers, as it pertains to defining indigenous identities. It is my belief that the majority of indigenous peoples, who have internalised and currently abide by these practices, my tribe included, are unaware or unwilling to acknowledge the historical and colonial origins of these concepts that have been responsible for the complex and contentious identity issues that are unique to indigenous peoples today. Continuing to base indigenous identities solely upon racial formulation is no longer a viable option if tribes wish to continue towards building and re-building their nations. As the theory of blood quantum continues to disaffect many indigenous peoples, it is crucial to strengthen indigenous communities against the modern eugenics discourse, which is the use of biological testing (DNA analysis test for certain genetic markers), that claims to measure who is ‘truly indigenous’. Not all but most indigenous peoples in this study either hold letters of tribal enrolment or enrolment cards that prove their indigeneity. Nā Alvina Edwards.

Alvina Edwards in the laboratory at the University of Texas.

Alvina Edwards in the laboratory at the University of Texas.

Rongoā Māori ki Kaputone

Aperahama Te Aika Kipa along with whanaunga from Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Kaimahi Rongoā from all over Ōtautahi and Arowhenua have been working to establish a māra rongoā at Kaputone (Marshlands Road) in partnership with Christchurch City Council.

This initiative is part of the wider restoration of the Pūharakekenui (Styx) catchment. Thanks to Tui and Claire at Mahaanui Kurataiao for helping coordinate the hui since March. A hui was held on Saturday 28 June as part of the Matariki celebrations at Rehua Marae, 79 Springfield Road, St Albans. This included an afternoon site visit.

In 2002 Kōkā Heeni Phillips and Dr Murray Parsons met with Christine Heremaia and plans for a māra rongoā were drafted with Bill and Pere Royal. Christchurch City Council approved the purchase of neighbouring properties in 2009 and now, five years later, the vision for a māra rongoā is coming to fruition.

The Kipa whānau pay homage to Kōkā Heeni Phillips a staunch advocate of Rongoā Māori and Te Kōhanga Reo since the early 1980s and Dr Murray Jury-Parson, ethno-botanist, both of whom passed away in 2011.
Moe mai Kōkā Heeni me Matua Murray ngā mema poari o Te Rapana Trust – Moe mai rā. Condolences also to the family of Christine Heremaia who sadly passed away earlier this year. Their passion and vision for Rongoā Māori and the Styx Vision 2000-2040 ensures future generations may enjoy and benefit.

Aperahama Te Aika Kipa (foreground) and whānau at Māra Rongoā.

Aperahama Te Aika Kipa (foreground) and whānau at Māra Rongoā.