Kua pōhara tātou i te ngaronga atu, i te wehenga atu o ngā tini rangatira o te motu, kua whetūrangitia i te marama kua hori nei. He maimai aroha, he matapōrehu, he tangi mō koutou kua ngaro atu rā, kua karangahia e Tahu Kumea, e Tahu Whakairo. Waiho atu te tewe muri nei hei hopo, hei auē.

Rātou ki a rātou, ā, tātou ki tātou. Tēnā rā tātou katoa.

E te iwi, ko te tūmanako ia, e noho ora ana koutou i te nohotahi ki te whānau. I tēnei wā o te makariri, tēnā tiakina koutou i a koutou anō.

Tēnā rā koutou i runga i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā.

In late May, we celebrated the development and creation of Papatipu Rūnanga educational resources at Rāpaki Marae.

This initiative, funded by the Ministry of Education, encourage and support Papatipu Rūnanga to engage and interact with schools within their takiwā by creating and developing educational resources. The resources, a range of hapū and iwi stories, tikanga, pepeha and waiata booklets provided an opportunity to not only capture stories but to share them and influence the curriculum in a way that benefits our tamariki.

Congratulations to the Papatipu Rūnanga, Te Mahere Mātauranga and the Ministry of Education on a successful collaborative initiative.

Also in May, we joined Waikato-Tainui in celebrating 20 years since their Raupatu Lands Settlement. A small Ngāi Tahu contingent attended the commemorations at Tūrangawaewae Marae.

To acknowledge the relationship we have with Waikato-Tainui we presented the Sir Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta Memorial Aoraki Bound Scholarship. Sir Robert was the lead negotiator for the Waikato-Tainui claim and worked closely with the Ngāi Tahu claim negotiators and team, particularly with Tā Tipene.

The scholarship allows for one Waikato-Tainui rangatahi to participate in Aoraki Bound each year. It creates a great opportunity for our future leaders to network with each other and build on our significant iwi-to-iwi relationship.

It is great to see so many whānau and close associates recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Those whānau honoured include Edward Ellison of Ōtākou Rūnanga and Denise Sheat of Te Taumutu Rūnanga both of whom were made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

Edward has contributed to a range of organisations, particularly those dealing with Māori and environmental matters in the Otago region and Denise has contributed extensively as an advisor and teacher of te reo and tikanga Māori, especially in the education sector.

Congratulations to these rangatira and all those who received honours.

Nāia te mihi kau atu ki a koutou katoa. Kua rangatira te iwi i tēnei hōnore nui, i a koutou.

Mark.

Tā Mark Solomon.

Tā Mark Solomon.