Fusion holiday programme
On 7 July, we ran our school holiday programme again. We had around 30 tamariki at the marae waiting to see what we had planned for the week. We enjoyed a cruisy morning of introductions and yummy kai, and in the afternoon Uncle Joe Mason came to run a karaoke competition with the kids. Our kids have lots of talent – as we found out that day.
On the second day, our kaumātua kindly took all our tamariki and adults to the movies to watch Transformers 4. After the movie,we all went to the park and enjoyed fish’n’chips, sausages, fizzy and bread – all the good stuff we weren’t supposed to be eating. It was a lovely treat. A big thank you to our beautiful kaumātua who made this happen for our kids; and also to Tihou Weepu for coming down the park to set up a game of touch for the big kids. Ngā mihi koutou. Without you all this day would not have been possible. On the third and fourth days, Chantal Tumahai arrived to take our kids for Hip Hop and they were all pumped and ready to learn some moves.
Normally on the fifth day of the programme, we put on a show for all our parents to show them what the kids have learnt through the week; but this time it was all about having fun and spending time together. We ended up taking our kids to the Greymouth swimming pool for the day which was so much fun – even our adults were making the most of the hydro slides.
We even treated them with a KFC box each.
As you all can imagine, after a busy week everyone was exhausted and another holiday programme was done and dusted.
Our kids enjoying a swimming session.
Our older kids playing a game of touch.
Whānau picking their songs for the karaoke competition.
Chantal teaching our kids some moves.
Congratulations
Rangitane Thompson continues to achieve in his sport. Selected for the Under 17 Canterbury Rugby League team, Rangitane recently travelled to Dunedin to play in the South Island tournament. They won all games they played – against Otago, West Coast, Southland and Tasman. Rangitane played fullback, lead the haka for his team and was selected for the possible South Island team, where they played against the probables. Rangitane was then named in the South Island squad to play in the national tournament in Rotorua later this year. Cousins, Jasmine and Jade, Aunty Danielle, Mum and Dad supported Rangitane on the side line. This young man will continue to strive in his sports. Ekea te tai oreore.
Rangitane Thompson.
Jasmine and Jade Couch with Rangitane.
Rā whānau
Our moko Taena Tokori Mita had a wonderful fifth birthday party with his whānau and cousins on 17 July.
Taena, his cousin Harmony-Ri Tuira and his taua, Wendi Crofts all celebrate their birthdays on the same day. Taena is now at Te Kura Kaupapa o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa. Ka mau te wehi. Nā Liz Kereru.
Taena Tokori Mita.
Congratulations
The Buzzcutz, a St Bedes Barbershop quartet formed at the beginning of this year, placed first in the Canterbury barbershop regionals held at Rangiruru college in July. They are now preparing for the nationals to be held in Wellington in mid-August. Both Maui Brennan and Will Foubister are of Ngāi Tahu descent and we wish them all the best in their pursuit of excellence.
From left, baritone George Berry (Year 12), Bass Will Foubister (Year 13) lead vocalist Maui Brennan (Year 11) and tenor Tim Maguire (Year 11).
Te Kohaka o Tuhaitara Trust
Recently a group of 50 students from Tuahiwi, Woodend and Kaiapoi North Schools took a trip to Pūtaringamotu (Deans Bush). The aim of the trip was to learn about the kiwi release programme and for the students to gain an understanding of what their biota nodes will look like in 400 years. Joseph Hullen came along on the day to give a kōrero on the significance of the area to the people of Kaiapoi Pā and Ōtautahi surrounds. Jean Thompkins from Environment Canterbury talked about biodiversity/provenance, while John from the Deans Bush Trust shared stories about the bush, and their kiwi release programme.
Joseph Hullen shares Deans Bush history with tamariki.
Tamariki learning about biota nodes.
Taiaha wānanga
On 7 July, Tū Toka Tū Ariki came to Tuahiwi for their taiaha wānanga for whakamaumahara a Hori Brennan. Every year the Tū Toka Tū Ariki come to Tuahiwi and award a scholarship for two men to travel to Mokoia Island in Rotorua to train with whānau there.
A big congratulations goes to Zion Epiha (Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Tūwharetoa) and to Ben Murray (Ngāti Kurī) for winning the scholarship to Mokoia Island in January 2015.
It was awesome having all the rangatahi and pakeke here training the old ways of taiaha. Tū Toka Tū Ariki were here for four days and the event was enjoyed by many tamariki. We even had a triple Ice Challenge in between the wānanga that was encouraged by a big haka afterwards. It was awesome to have the taiaha wānanga here at Tuahiwi and we look forward to having them again next year.
Te Maiariki Williams and Zion Epiha, recipient of Hori Brennan Scholarship.
Te Mairiki Williams and Ben Murray, recipient of Hori Brennan Scholarship.
Taiaha tamariki showing their parents what they had learnt throughout the wānanga.
Congratulations
Te Aotahi Rice-Edwards (from the Pere whānau) makes his way to Napier in September to represent Waitaha in the Ngā Manu Kōrero national competition.
Te Aotahi stood in the Rāwhiti Ihaka section (Junior Māori) of the regional competitions in June with his school St. Thomas of Canterbury. His speech was based on the kaupapa of Tū Kotahi Tātou, Wehe Ka Ngaro.
St Thomas’ is lucky to have two speakers representing Waitaha in the Nationals. James Kerr will represent the school in the Korimako (Senior English) section. They also won the best school overall at the regional competitions for the second year in a row.
QeyLoux Hakaria also stood in Junior Māori section, representing Shirley Boys High School and came second. Both QeyLoux and Te Aotahi have stood with the Wairewa kapa team representing us at Te Atakura, and both are lucky enough to be travelling with their kapa Amokura overseas straight after the nationals.
Wairewa congratulates the boys on their achievements and wishes Te Aotahi the best of luck in the National Manu Kōrero competitions. Ko taku manu korokī i te ata, ko te reo Māori i te kutu, ko taku manu korihi i te ahiahi, e tau taku manu kōrero e tau…. Ko Wairewa ki te ao. Hī.
St Thomas of Canterbury at regionals.
Rāwhiti Ihaka section placegetters, QeyLoux Hakaria, Mataia Joseph Paki and Te Aotahi Rice-Edwards.
Football success
Rebecca Lake (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Irakehu) has been named in the New Zealand Secondary School Under 16 representative football team, to tour Thailand in July.
Rebecca, the daughter of Tony and Sara Lake of Kaiapoi, has been selected in a squad of 18 players and is one of two students from Canterbury. The team will undertake a tour of Thailand in July, including games against the Thai national team. The tour is envisaged as a development step for players in the build-up to the FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan 2016.
All but four of the current Football Ferns started their international pathway to football success with New Zealand Secondary School Girls’ football and the tour to Thailand is expected to give the girls valuable playing experience and an insight into Asian- style football. (Japan are the current world champions). It will also introduce them to the pressures of touring and the test of playing in hot conditions.
Rebecca, a Year 10 pupil at Marian College in Christchurch, is looking forward to being challenged physically, mentally and culturally. She is committed to both her school-work and her sports and is a positive role model for young Māori. She trains every day of the week and carries that through to weekend games. She represents Marian College in the 1st XI school football team and also plays Waimakariri club football, for North Canterbury representative teams. In addition, she manages to fit in school basketball, touch, futsal (an indoor version of association football) and two nights of football training at the Federation Talent Centre. She has also represented her school in the South Island secondary schools athletics championships.
Rebecca is keen to give back to her community, especially through mentoring or training others in football.
“I believe it’s important to give service to the community and I already help my younger brother’s football team,” she says.
Rebecca Lake on the field.
Tamariki day at Taumutu
Our tamariki enjoyed another day out during the school holidays at Moki.The weather was outstanding and Tāwhirimātea looked favourably upon us, delivering a beautifully sunny day. The focus was on Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū and the tamariki produced some wonderful renditions of pātiki, tuna and aua. We always go for a walk to Kaitorete and enjoy playing around on the beach.
We followed this up with some wonderful kai and great kōrero from all the tamariki. Some of our younger tamariki are really coming out of their shell. They blossom by being around whānau and getting together each school holidays is really a great thing to see. We’re looking forward to the next exciting chapter for our tamariki.
All our beautiful tamariki and whānau at Kaitorete Spit.
Waiting patiently for lunch.
Cobi Dzoma (Teihoka whānau) Hemi and Teme Togia (Marsh whānau).
Aunty Marg (Teihoka whānau) and Aunty Daphne (O’Connell whānau), enjoying making craft with the tamariki.
Rugby in the rohe
Southbridge Rugby Club have had some excellent weeks with the senior rugby team. Our one and only, Daniel Carter came home to play before heading back to the Crusaders. The first game, on 21 June, was played in the fog. The second game on 28 June was played in much better weather, with Southbridge winning both games.
The tamariki were all so excited at seeing our local hero and after the game, Daniel signed autographs and enjoyed the festivities we had planned.
One of our Moki tamariki has made the Under 12 Ellesmere representative team. Jayda Siyakurima (Teihoka whānau) has been playing rugby for Southbridge for four years and her team has done amazingly well this season. We are looking forward to playing Leeston next week. It’s always a good game to watch with both sides battling it out. Only a few more weeks left of winter sport, so give it your all – go hard –and play fair.
Fiona Sloan (Teihoka whānau) with Daniel Carter.
Southbridge under 7s.
Jayda Siyakurima (Teihoka whānau) after the Southbridge under 11 ½ game, which they won 44-nil against Rolleston.
Southbridge Under 11 ½ getting ready for a big game.
Sarah Christy, Daniel Carter, Liam and Phoenix Ward (Johnson whānau).
Te Ana Puaka-Matariki School programme and Festival of Light
June has been very busy for the guides at Te Ana as they roll out the Te Ana Puaka-Matariki programme throughout the schools in the district. The aim of the programme is to build on the existing knowledge of Matariki in schools to teach about Puaka, and its significance to Ngāi Tahu, as an indicator of the Māori New Year and the seasons to come. Giant star lanterns were used by the tamariki to form the Orion constellation (of which Puaka is the brightest star), so that the young star gazers know what to look for on those chilly winter mornings. This was followed by an exciting (but very messy) lantern-making workshop. The lanterns were lit at Te Ana’s Festival of Light, held in celebration of the Te Tau Hou on 28 June at Timaru Botanical Gardens.
Twizel School celebrating during the Festival of Light.
Craighead School visit
On Thursday 31 July, the first of two groups from Craighead School, Timaru visited the marae on what turned out to be a beautiful warm, almost spring-like day. Along with the Craighead girls, we welcomed some visiting Japanese students. They all enjoyed a multi-kai meal at midday and were kept busy learning about mahinga kai practices, poi making, harakeke flower making and waiata with Wendy and Anna from the Heritage Education Programme in Timaru.
The girls were welcomed onto the marae by Aunty Sis Dodds, Wendy Heath and Maku Davis. Thanks to Matua John and Makaere for their assistance with waiata and to Keith (the bus driver), who was extremely helpful throughout the day. Below are some pictures taken on the day. Thanks to Lex, Kate, Dee and Steve who worked in the kitchen. A second group from Craighead visited on Thursday 7 August.
E Papa Waiari (stick game).
In the wharenui learning waiata.
A group of students with their harakeke flowers.
Another successful tamariki programme
In the school holidays we hosted the 11th tamariki holiday programme. As always the tamariki came with vibrant smiles, loud voices and enough energy to run a power station. We also had rangatahi from the Tai Timu Kaupapa who are based in Hawkes Bay. On the Wednesday evening, Matapura shared a creative rendition of the story about Kaea and Kopuwai before letting the kids go out and play spotlight. Thursday was filled with curling, ice-skating and luging in Naseby.
For many, it was their first time on the ice. There were about 70 kids and we had awesome support from parents. Thank you all for coming to another great tamariki programme and we look forward to seeing you all again at the next one. Nā Waiariki Parata-Taiapa.
Testing out the luge in Naseby.
Tamariki at the marae.
Launch of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu
On 26 July, Ōtākou Marae hosted one of the several launches of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu held throughout the motu.
We celebrated with a whānau day and a celebration of Māori Wardens in Dunedin. Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou is driving recruitment and establishment for a new branch of Māori Wardens, under the mana of the rūnanga, and were thrilled with 20 volunteers signing up on the day.
The whānau day was well attended, and along with an amazing hāngi cooked by Ron Bull, whānau were treated to a magic show, photo booth, face painting, nail art and many stalls by local service providers.
From left, Iwikau Te Aika, Mahana Paerata and Te Waipunahau Te Aika.
Whānau enjoying the magic show.
Rangatahi Tumeke July camp
Ngā karangatanga maha o te motu tēnā tātou katoa
He mihi nui he mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa
Rangatahi Tumeke held another outdoor camp from 11-15 July at Tautuku Outdoor Lodge. Twenty-two rangatahi attended the camp from around the motu. A rōpū of rangatahi from Puketeraki along with Waiariki Parata-Taiapa and Brendan Flack joined us. A huge mihi to these guys for their manaaki me tautoko throughout the camp.
Jay Davis also joined us with some rangatahi from Murihiku. Mihi atu ki a Jay mō to tautoko i tēnei kaupapa. Jane Kitson and Dean Whaanga, along with a group of NIWA scientists also joined us for a night and enlightened us all on the kaupapa of fresh water. He mihi nunui ki a koutou e ngā iwi, e ngā mana, e ngā reo, tēnā tātou katoa.
Many other whānau came along and joined us over the five days. Many thanks for giving up your time and energy to support this important kaupapa. He mihi aroha ki a koutou. We managed to gather many varieties of mahinga kai and participated in some great activities. The weather was once again very kind to us. A big mihi to Awarua Rūnanga and the whānau for their ongoing support on this kaupapa and the mahi that goes on behind the scenes that helps to make these camps happen. Lastly, he mihi nunui ki ngā mema o te Ngāi Tahu Fund mō tō manaaki me tautoko i tēnei kaupapa o Rangatahi Tumeke. Ka mau te wehi ki a koutou katoa. Tīhei mauriora. Nā Steph me te whānau.
A group photo before participants left Te Rau Aroha Marae.
Rangatahi and tutors participating in the camp at Tautoko Outdoor Lodge.
Mahinga Kai Exemplar Project launched
Singer Tiki Taane and ‘Bugman’ Ruud Kleinpaste joined 250 community volunteers to plant over 400 hundred plants in Anzac Drive Reserve recently. The Matariki initiative marked the launch of the Mahinga Kai Exemplar project – a project co-led by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Avon-Ōtākaro Network – and the first steps in a wider campaign to green the red zone.
The 400 native trees were donated by the Department of Conservation and pupils from the bilingual unit of nearby Freeville School planted out the community vegetable garden they designed and built. The pupils recognised that the nearby communities of Burwood and North New Brighton have been badly affected by the Christchurch earthquakes and they were keen to develop a project that would help raise community spirit. They will maintain the gardens in anticipation of a bumper crop of vegetables. A fruit tree grove was also planted out in the Anzac Drive Reserve.
Te Marino Lenihan, project manager for earthquake recovery at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, says the Mahinga Kai Exemplar Project is the only kaupapa Māori project in the Natural Environment Recovery Plan. It is and was initiated over a year ago by Te Awheawhe Rū Whenua in partnership with the Avon-Ōtākaro Network.
“Mahinga kai is central to Ngāi Tahu culture and local Ngāi Tahu hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, has elevated it as the key design principle driving their engagement in the rebuild of greater Christchurch,” he says.
Success will be measured by how well mahinga kai can be protected, rehabilitated, enhanced and maintained for the future enjoyment and benefit of greater Christchurch communities, and harvesting mahinga kai resources should only be sanctioned once they are healthy and abundant enough to be sustained.
“This project was a chance for Ngāi Tahu to set a good example for how we as a city might approach environmental recovery. There needs to be a healthy balance between land and water such that each supports the other,” says Te Marino.
“We have an unprecedented chance to uplift our mahinga kai values and do what needs to be done to set a good example so that others can follow suit”
Whitebait (inanga) has been chosen as the hero species for the Avon River.
“Māori and Pākehā are united in our common pursuit and passion for whitebait. This area is an excellent whitebait spawning ground, and we believe that if we can restore the red zone with fantastic whitebait habitats, then the benefits will flow for the whole city.
“If we build just for people, the fish won’t come, but if we build for the fish, the people will definitely come,” says Te Marino.
“My hope is that the philosophy of designing and developing for mahinga kai species first and foremost up and down the river corridor is adopted by all. We believe that an environment that provides a world class fishery and wildlife environment within our city will provide a foundation for a new economic stream for east Christchurch communities.”
“It’s all about turning the red zone green. It’s about building an environmental infrastructure that builds social capacity, bringing communities together and strengthening their spirit after the destruction of the earthquakes. We want to re-build a healthy, harvestable environment that feeds our puku as well as our pockets.”
Tamariki gather with guest celebrity Tiki Taane.
Freeville School pupils planting out raised vegetable garden beds.