Ka pai tamariki mā

He pēpi

Henare Te Aika-Puanaki and Rhea Waretini would like to announce their new pēpi, Te Maiaorere o Ngā Whakaaro Tiki te Aroha Te Aika-Puanaki Waretini (Maiao for short). He was born on 10 April weighing 6.3lbs. He is a great moko for Teresa Te Aika and first moko for Lynne Te Aika. He is a healthy young boy and was an early gift as he was born a month before his due date. His iwi are Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Kahungunu.

Thank you all for the kind wishes and congratulations.

Waterwise Te Waihora

On 3-8 May, Te Taumutu Rūnanga once again hosted the Waterwise Te Waihora hui and it is now in its third year. It is a collaborative project between the Untouched World™ Charitable Trust, Environment Canterbury, Canterbury Community Trust, and Ngāi Tahu. This year,16 young people from nine Canterbury schools, supported by three Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) (outdoor education and sustainability degree course) mentors, had the opportunity to develop citizenship and leadership skills while learning about the complexity of water management.

Participants were given the opportunity to stay at the marae; this was an important aspect of the week as many had never experienced a marae stay before. They met rūnanga elders, and David Perenara-O’Connell spoke to them about Te Taumutu Rūnanga connection to Te Waihora through whakapapa and kaitiakitanga. During the six-day hui the participants also heard from various experts in the field of water management including representatives from the Selwyn Waihora Zone Committee, Central Plains Water, Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, Environment Canterbury, Waihora Ellesmere Trust and Whakaora te Waihora. They also met with environmental advocates who encouraged them to challenge and ask questions. Physical activities included water monitoring at Coe’s Ford and two working bees with the Department of Conservation at Irwell Conservation Area and Kaitorete Spit.

On the Friday afternoon, the students presented their ideas to an invited audience. This is often a highlight despite the stress of preparing for it, as they get to demonstrate the depth of their learning and the emotional connections they have made over the week. They also appreciate the opportunity to informally mix with representatives from the rūnanga as well as with Peri Drysdale and her team from the Untouched World™ Charitable Trust.

Greenpark School site opening

On 1 May, in beautiful weather, Tā Mark officiated, along with Taumutu Rūnanga and Te Waihora Management Board (TWMB) members, the opening of the Greenpark School site.

Greenpark is a Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Te Waihora Management Board initiative and the school buildings will now be re-used for education and community activities.

It will serve as a welcome home and collaborative hub for a range of exciting Te Waihora activities. It was an opportunity to look through the classrooms and to admire Aunty Daphne’s beautiful weaving.

Continuous videos were shown of the late Aunty Ake, as well as Māori TV documentaries about Te Waihora. The official opening ribbon was cut by Tā Mark, Aunty Marg and Daphne. Mayor Kelvin Coe (Selwyn District Council) and ECan Commissioner, David Caygill, were also in attendance. Fonterra representative, Stuart Gray, board and rūnanga representatives, Department of Conservation staff, Waihora Ellesmere Trust, and Environment Canterbury mingled with local farmers and members of the local Greenpark community, mingled together. It was a great day with good company and kai, and an opportunity to kōrero with a wide range of community members.

Fonterra is funding operational costs at Greenpark and their generosity is much appreciated.

Memorial mural

The Cath Brown Memorial Cupboard Mural was created as part of the Gifted and Talented Art workshop attended by Dunsandel, Leeston and Southbridge Schools and Ellesmere College.

Staff, students and parents attended the event as well as members of Te Taumutu Rūnanga.

The mural depicts the Port Hills, the Canterbury Plains, Te Waihora, the sea, associated fish and birds in the area as well as the taniwha, Tūterakihaunoa.

Cath Brown was an inspirational local artist, from Ngāti Moki Marae, who willingly shared her talents with students at Christchurch Teachers’ College and the wider community over many years.

This year, four local schools joined forces as a cluster, Ngā Mātāpuna o Te Waihora, to provide extra opportunities for our Gifted and Talented learners. Wendy Huriwai of Southbridge School organised the first of the four experiences planned for the year; with a focus on Māori visual arts.

Cath’s niece, Liz Brown, led the way, incorporating a range of traditional Māori arts into her concept design, which depicted Ngā Kōhatu Whakarakaraka o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua (the Port Hills), Te Ahu Patiki (Mount Herbert), Ngā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha (the Canterbury Plains), and Te Waihora with its local wildlife; tuna (eels), pātiki, (flounder), pūkeko, aua (mullet), and the taniwha of Fisherman’s Point and the Rakaia River, Tūterakihaunoa. The artwork included kōwhaiwhai patterns, flax weaving and tukutuku panels.

The 18 students were involved in a two-day workshop, learning the skills to help create this collaborative artwork, which will take pride of place in the whare wānanga for generations to come.

Site blessing

Kaumātua, Henare Edwards, and Te Taumutu Education subcommittee members led the blessing of the site for the new high school, Rolleston College, which will start in 2017.

Despite the cold temperature, the event was well supported by the establishment board of the new school, the Ministry of Education, the sponsor, architects and construction company, as well as local principals and Selwyn District councillors.

Future pupils of the new school also participated in the ceremony. It was a very exciting opportunity for the rūnanga to be involved in developing and influencing this, and for the new primary school, Rolleston West to meet the needs of our tamariki and rangatahi.

Winter warmer

We had an awesome day at the marae hosting our mid-winter Christmas dinner. We were lucky enough to enjoy the company of some of our Moeraki and Arowhenua whanaunga and members of our farming community as well.

We had our whānau meeting, which was then followed by a presentation of the DVD, Beneath the Surface, by the Working Waters Trust – “Everyone wants to clean up Lake Horowhenua and yet it remains one of New Zealand’s unhealthiest lakes.

Once a pristine haven fought for by the ancestors Muaupoko, the lake provided physical and spiritual nourishment for their tribe. A few generations of degradation and 30 years of sewerage has turned the lake into a toxic pit devoid of life.
The Muaupoko people are now fighting to reverse the damage done to their precious taonga.

Beneath the Surface takes you to Levin, New Zealand, where the stagnant situation of a polluted lake is dividing the community.”

There was face painting for everyone, waiata and kapa haka, visits by Dora the Explorer and Minnie Mouse, kids games and kite making. It was a wonderful day enjoyed by all and topped off with magnificent kai. Thanks to everyone who helped and participated. There may be more pictures coming up on our Waihao Facebook Page, so keep a look out for those.

Wrap up and stay warm whānau.

He Manawa Whenua, He Manawa Reo

Ko te Tira Mōrehu Reo o Moeraki
At our last wānaka over Queen’s Birthday Weekend, we spent some time going over waiata that we have composed over the last few years and putting them to a poi and a haka.

We don’t know how long it has been since our whare, Uenuku and wharekai, Te Wairutu-a-tai last heard a Moeraki haka or poi written by us, for us but we felt pretty good about our efforts by the end of the weekend, and completed it with a performance to Nan and Pōua.

We deviated slightly from our usual mahika kai expeditions and had a bonfire instead, where we roasted marshmallows on a clear star-lit night, before the children proceeded to wake the rest of Moeraki up with shrieks and laughter as the traditional game of ‘marae spot-light’ ensued.

Another positive outcome of our hui was having the time to think about the next part of the journey, and how we might encourage more of our Moeraki whānau to come home to learn the reo and our kōrero.

To support this, we have decided to extend our planned wānaka in the first week of the September/October school holidays to a wānaka reo, based on the Kura Reo model, having Moeraki graduates of Te Panekiretanga attend as teachers. We will start with a heke to Aoraki on 28-29 September, returning to Moeraki on 29 and starting our kura, which we are naming “Te Tira Reo o Moeraki,” 30 September-3 October.

We will put out a more detailed pānui in the next Te Pānui Rūnaka but we wanted to sow the seed of thought early, so people can start looking at their diaries.

We would like to thank Tihou for helping our men work on the haka and of course, Nola and Patrick Tipa – our Pā whakawairua, who have continued to keep the home fires burning for us, so that when we return our whare is always warm and welcoming, our food is delicious and is all the children can talk about on the journey home. The feeling of aroha and whanaukataka means we leave with sad hearts but it already has us thinking of the next trip. He whānau e ako tahi ana, he whānau ora.

Nāia Te Tira Mōrehu Reo o Moeraki e mihi atu ana ki a koutou, kā whanauka e noho ana i kā tōpito o te motu. Ko te whānau e ako tahi ana, he whānau ora, ā, ko tēnei te whānau o Moeraki e whai tonu ana i tā mātou kaupapa ako i te reo Māori me kā tikaka a tō mātou papa kāika o Moeraki. Ko whā tau mātou e haere ana i tēnei huanui, ā, ia wā i hoki mātou ki te haukāika, he oraka wairua, he oraka hinekaro, he oraka tinana. Ahakoa te tokoiti, he nui tonu te hiahia i tēnā, i tēnā o mātou ki te whakarakatira i kā taoka a pōua mā, a tāua mā i tukuna iho mai ki a mātou.

The Tira Mōrehu Reo o Moeraki sends forth our mihi to all of our relations in the many corners of our land. The whānau who learns together is a healthy whānau, and this is the Moeraki whānau who are continuing on our journey of learning our language and our customs and traditions of our home of Moeraki. We have now been on this path for over four years and every return home is reviving in spirit, mind and body. Although we may be small in number, the desire in each and every one of us to celebrate and value the treasures passed down to us by our ancestors, is strong.

To finish off our little pānui, we will end with the words of some of the waiata we composed during our wānaka, to celebrate the life and accomplishments of our tīpuna, Matiata Tiramorehu, so here are the words for one of our latest which we have broken up into two waiata; Ko Tīhore te pō roa and Te Wehi o Tēnei Ao:

Ko tīhore te pō roa
Ko heia te kōpaka whakarakau ki Puari
Wero i te ninihi, Wero i te kokoto (kai ruka)
hei irika roimata mō kā huāka
Raraua te kiko e te niho makā
Ka puta ko te rei,
Whakareia tō waka
Watua ki te toka
Aratakina tō kauika, he tira mōrehu
Aukaha, kia kaha, i kā kaha o Āraiteuru
Au ahi, au ora,
au moana, aua noa atu.

The long night has cleared
The hoar frost has set at Puari
The winter stars are above
A suspended mantel of tears for the relations
The flesh is mauled by the barracuda tooth
The leader (whale tooth) steps forward
Adorn your canoe
Go ahead to the South
Lead forth your pod, a party of survivors
Strengthen the lashings of the bulwark of Āraiteuru
Where there is smoke there is life,
But the current of the sea who knows?

Te wehi o te ao kōmiro
Horo ana te whenua o ō tūpuna
Te rohi-ā-uta, wairutu-ā-tai
He whenua houkura, ki Matuatiki, ki Moeraki
Uia kā pou o Ōmanawharetapu
Matiaha e, takina tō tūtū kārahu
Tō mana ki te raki,
tō reo ki te papa
Tō haumāuiui he kuru pounamu
Tau ana i to poho o tō iwi e.

How fearsome the changing world
Your ancestral land is eroding
The lament of the land, the lament of the tides
Behold the peaceful land Matuatiki, and Moeraki
Seek guidance from the posts of Omanawharetapu
Oh Matiaha, lead your war dance
Let your mana be to the heavens
And your voice be to the land
The toils of your work are a prized greenstone
That rests upon the breast of your people.

Waka reo fun day

On 7 June our whānau hosted the first of two waka/reo fun days for the year. We had a turnout of young and old, ranging from beginners to confident paddlers. Tama-nui-te-rā was also out, which made our day on our awa, Waikouaiti an awesome day.

Activities included learning karakia, ngeri, listening to local waka stories, collecting rubbish on Ōhinepouwera, waka races and eating kai.

It was a great turnout and it was lovely to hear everyone giving te reo a go. We will keep you all posted for when the next waka reo fun day will be later on in the year. Nō reira tēnā koutou katoa i tae ā-tinana mai. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.

Road widening project

Whānau from around the kaik got together with road engineers, contractors and work crew, Dunedin City Council and Otago Peninsula Community Board representatives to celebrate the first footpath ever through the kāik, especially along the straight at Te Rauone. The road widening between Ōhinetū and Harington Point is behind schedule with three to four weeks until it’s completion.

Congratulations

This year I got to witness my girls perform on-stage. Representing Ngāi Tahu and Glenfield College they walked onto the Polyfest stage and showed that after just three weeks of practices they were ready to show Tāmaki Makaurau that the North Shore was stepping up.

The rōpū came home with a first placing in the waiata tira, third place in the mōteatea and my girl Leeah took out third place of 27 schools for role as the kaitataki wāhine. Mean Māori mean.

The Glenfield College paper also acknowledged that we were a team to be reckoned with. They said that we were the talk of the day, a team with excellent performances. None of this would have been possible without our parent and teacher helpers. Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei.

My daughter, Leeah Chou-Lee Ryder said: “I’m proud to say that Te Kura o Kaipatiki placed first in waiata tira, third in mōteatea and I managed to pull off third equal manukura wahine. So again a massive thank you to everyone who put in the hard work and stood by our sides no matter what.” Nā Pam Ryder.

Leeah Chou-Lee Ryder was also selected for the New Zealand National Tag team. She is a talented young person who acknowledges her Ngāi Tahu heritage and her whānau are full of praise for this wonderful young lady. We here in Kāi/Ngāi Tahu Ki Tāmaki Makaurau are so proud of her talents and we recognise the greatness that her future holds. We applaud her and support her in all that she desires to achieve. Well done Leeah you go girl – mean Māori mean.

Ngā Manu Kōrero ki Ōtākou/Murihiku

E kā toa horopū e kaha whawhai ana mō tō tātou reo, e kā kōkō tatakī, e kā korokoro tūī tēnā koutou katoa.

I tū te whakataetae-ā-rohe(Ōtākou/Murihiku) mō Ngā Manu Kōrero i Ōtepoti, i te Kura Tuarua o Kapua te Raki i te Rāmere, te 12 o Maruaroa. Tokomaha kā tākata i haere ki te tautoko, ki te hāpai i kā kaikōrero me te kaupapa. Nāia te mihi ki a koutou. He tau whakanui i Ngā Manu Kōrero nā te mea ko tēnei te tau e rima tekau e tū ana te wāhaka kōrero, ko Korimako. E whā kā wāhaka kōrero ināianei. Ko Pei Te Hurinui Jones mō kā tuākana e kōrero Māori ana. Ko Korimako mō kā tuākana Māori e kōrero Pākehā ana. Ko Te Rāwhiti Ihaka mō kā tāina e kōrero Māori ana, ā, Ko Tā Turi Kara mō kā tāina Māori e kōrero Pākehā ana.

Ko kā whakaihu waka:

• Pei Te Hurunui Jones: Thomas Aerepo-Morgan, Te Whare Kura o Arowhenua
• Korimako: Leeanah Haitana, Te Kura Tuarua o Gore.
• Te Rāwhiti Ihaka: Tūmai Cassidy, Te Kura Tuarua o Kingi.
• Sir Turi Carroll: Destiny Naunau, Te Kareti o Verdon.

Ka tū te whakataetae-ā-motu ki Porirua hai te 22-24 Rima.

E te rau o tītapu, e te rau o huna koutou e whakapeto koi, arā, kā kaiwhakawā, kā kaimahi, kā kaiako me te Kura Tuarua o Kapua te Raki nei anō te tai o mihi e rere atu ki a koutou katoa.

The Otago/Southland regional Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition was held at Logan Park High School on Friday 12 June. There were plenty of schools and supporters in attendance, celebrating the 50th year of the competition, which started with the one section – Korimako, senior English in 1965. Well done to all who participated and congratulations to the winners of each section.

KMK are proud to see two Kāi Tahu rakatahi regional winners representing Ōtākou/Murihiku who are both active members of their hapū and marae, and are also regular participants within KMK kaupapa. Thomas Aerepo-Morgan from Awarua and Tumai Cassidy from Ōtākou. A huge mihi to the judges, teachers and workers who made the day a huge success. Finally, safe travels to all going to Porirua for the nationals in September.