Kāi Tahu whānui, tēnā koutou katoa.
Nei rā te mihi o Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio ki a koutou katoa. Nei rā hoki te mihi poroporoaki ki kā tini mate kua hika mai, kua hika atu. Ki a koutou kua hīkoi atu ki te taha o kā mātua tīpuna ki tua o te ārai, haere, haere, haere atu rā. Moe mai koutou i te rakimārie. Rātou ki ā rātou, tātou anō ki a tātou.
Tēnā koutou katoa.
Weather conditions continue to be all over the place here on Te Tai o Poutini. The waiata “four seasons in one day” has been an apt description of some of the weather we have been experiencing. There have been regular sprinklings of huka on the mountain ranges but today Tama-nui-te-rā has graced us with his presence.
We have had another busy month and there is plenty of news to share with whānau. As promised, this month we have a kōrero about Manawa Hōu Whakatipu Waitai, the Ngāi Tahu rakatahi leadership development initiative, which was hosted in Martins Bay at the Hollyford Lodge early last month.
On the rūnanga front, Labour Weekend was very busy as predicted. On Friday morning a van load of Kāti Māhaki joined the Department of Conservation and other locals at Ōkārito to welcome home and release rare rowi chicks back into Ōkārito Forest. The following day nearly 40 whānau members gathered for our Hui-ā-Tau at our marae and on Sunday we supported the Bruce Bay Sports Day.
Welcome home
On Friday 24 October, Kāti Māhaki whānau, together with other locals welcomed home a portion of the 53 rowi removed from Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds, to be returned home to Ōkārito.
Following the traditional pōwhiri, whānau members had the opportunity to hold and release rowi into the forest – what an awesome experience for our tamariki and pakeke alike.
The kiwi were hatched at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef and raised on predator-free, Motuara Island. At one kilogram, the young are now large enough to defend themselves against their main predators – stoats. Although the rowi remains rare, the release is expected to increase the population to 400.
Upoko rūnanga Richard Wallace, with Kāti Māhaki whānau and other locals during the pōwhiri.
Robert Kihi releases a rowi.
Charlotte Russell and Karera Wallace-Jones wait for their rowi to head off into the bush.
Hui-ā-Tau
Fortunately the predicted rain held off on Saturday 25 October, as we gathered at our marae for the mihi whakatau that would open our Hui-ā-Tau.
The first meeting held under our amended constitution extending the timeframe for holding our hui, saw lengthy discussion about optimum timing for our Hui-ā-Tau. The final consensus was that with early notification of the date, those able to attend would.
With nearly 40 members and whānau present, there was lively discussion, debate and laughter as the rūnanga activities for the past year were reported. The ideas and suggestions made will be looked at over the coming year. The scheduled Ahu Whenua Trust meetings did not proceed, so we took the tamariki who had been cooped up inside while we met, to the awa – a great way to unwind.
Whānau during a break at our Hui-ā-Tau.
From left, Mere Wallace, Terry Scott, Pauline Adams, Richard Wallace and Paul Madgwick wait for queries.
Communication
As advised in the last edition, we are upgrading our website and will be including a members only access section that whānau will be able to log into, which will be launched in February next year. We will continue to update our maramataka and pānui but many of the other pages will remain unchanged.
Our long list of members who have not updated their contact details has not reduced in size and we continue to receive returned mail. We also need to ensure your e-mail address is the most up-to-date, so that we can continue to forward pānui, news and updates to our members.
Please contact the office either by e-mail or phone to update your details or if want to discuss anything. You can phone us: 03 755 7885 or 0800 955 007; email us: [email protected] or [email protected]; follow us on Twitter: @makaawhio; visit our Facebook page, makaawhio.blogspot.co.nz; or our website, www.makaawhio.maori.nz.
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki. Mauri ora.
Christmas office closure
The rūnanga office will be closed from 19 December, through until 12 January 2015.