Over the last few months Kāti Huirapa members have been busy supporting events and taking part in wider Dunedin city activities. While much of the our energy has been focused on our papakāinga, particularly enhancing our environment, we also take a key role in the life of the city, supporting and leading projects that ensure that our own special brand of Ngāi Tahutanga is maintained and valued.
Some of the activities we have taken part in over the last while have included national, and even international duties. For example, in October 2014, Dr Katharina Ruckstuhl along with Edward Ellison, was invited to take part in the Dunedin city delegation to Qindao and Shanghai to celebrate Dunedin’s 25-year sister city relationship.
This relationship is important to both cities and Katharina and Edward were present at many events, including a top-level meeting and lunch with the Mayor of Shanghai, who leads a population of around 24 million.
Another highlight was the opening of an exhibition of photographs at Dunedin’s sister city Chinese garden, Yu Yuan garden, which was created in 1559.
As a follow-up to that meeting, in March 2015, Katharina and Tama Smith were invited to meet with a delegation from Qingdao city to strengthen the bonds between the two cities.
Qingdao, which has a population of 8.5 million, is the home of Haier, the whiteware and electronics company that bought Fisher and Paykel. It is likely that the connections between Kāti Huirapa and China will strengthen over the next few years, particularly given the already strong connection between the rūnaka and the Shanghai museum.
Closer to home, rūnaka members have been involved in a number of events. At the start of the year, the University of Otago held its inaugural Convocation ceremony (at which the Prime Minister was a special guest) to welcome first year students to the city. It was well supported by several members of the rūnaka, including some of our younger members such as Waiariki and Rongomai Parata and Ngareka Bensemann who took the opportunity to tautoko these students, an increasing number of whom are Ngāi Tahu.
An important day was Anzac Day, with rūnaka members attending ceremonies at Waikouaiti and in Dunedin. Our Upoko David Ellison and Professor John Broughton both played a major role. Some members even managed to make it to the national Māori Business Awards where Ngāi Tahu was presented with an inaugural award for an up-and-coming Māori business leader. Perhaps this is something that our rūnaka members may aspire to in the next little while.
Katharina Ruckstuhl and Edward Ellison at the opening of the Dunedin City exhibition at Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai.
Upoko David Ellison and Professor John Broughton at the University of Otago Students Association Anzac commemoration.
Katharina Ruckstuhl, Kukupa Tirakatene, Lisa Tumahai, Arihia Bennett and Ngaire Tainui at the Māori Business Awards in Auckland.
Upoko David Ellison and other rūnaka members at University of Otago Convocation ceremony.