Ka heke a Roimata, ka rere a Hupe, ka tangihia ngā mate huhua o te wā, huri, huri, huri noa i te motu. Nei au ka matapōrehu ki tērā o ngā mareikura, ki Te Whatukura a Takaroa, ki te uri a Huikai a Tūtehuarewa, ki a koe Linda, whakangaro atu rā. Waiho atu te tewe muri nei hei hopo, hei auē mōhou, otirā mō koutou te hunga wairua. Kua karangahia koutou e Tahu Kumea, e Tahu Whakairo kia hono atu ai ki ngā mātua tīpuna, ki te Matua nui i te rangi. Hanatu rā, hanatu rā, okioki mai rā. Ko koutou ki a koutou. Ko tātou te urupā konohi o rātou mā ki a tātou i tēnei ao hurihuri, i tēnei ao kōmiro. Tēnā tātou i runga i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā.

E tai mā, e hika mā o ngā Papatipu Marae, e te iwi whānui, nāia te uruhau, nāia hoki te whakamiha o te Tau Hou. Ko te tūmanako ia kua ora koutou i te noho tahi ki te whānau, i te whakatā, i ngā hīhī o Tamanui-te-rā, ā, kua reri mai mō ngā āhuatanga katoa kei mua i te aroaro. Nō reira, kia tau ngā manaakitanga o te wāhi ngaro ki runga i a koutou. Mauri ora e te iwi.

I hope you all had a relaxing summer break and that you feel rejuvenated and ready for 2016. For this year’s Waitangi Day celebrations Lisa Tumahai and I stayed in Waitangi following the Iwi Chairs Forum so we could attend the opening of the Waitangi Museum – a brand new complex situated on the treaty grounds – and Waitangi Day celebrations the following day. The week before the opening a Ngāti Waewae and Ngāi Tahu contingent traveled to Waitangi and gifted a mauri pounamu for the new museum. The name given to the mauri pounamu is Te Whāriki kia mōhio ai tātou ki a tātou. The museum is magnificent and there are many taonga from throughout the country on display including the carved Coronation chair and the piece of tangiwai pounamu gifted to Lord Bledisloe in Picton in 1934. We encourage everyone to visit the museum if you are ever in the Te Taitokerau area.Just prior to this event, Lisa and I attended the Iwi Chairs Forum, which was held in Waitangi and hosted by Ngāti Wai.

It was expected that the Government would announce the outcomes of the Iwi Leaders Group joint work programme on addressing rights, interests and responsibilities in freshwater for iwi. Ngāi Tahu and other iwi have has spent much time and effort on this mahi.

The way that freshwater is managed is very complex and it is heavily regulated. So it means that it is going to take a little longer than we anticipated. However it is important that both the Crown and iwi take time to get this right. We have to find a solution that is fair and equitable for all – one that is durable for our community, our existing users and for iwi. The next Iwi Chairs Forum is in May and will be hosted by Te Arawa.

Our Ngāi Tahu Treaty Festival was hosted by Ngāi Tārewa, Ōnuku Marae this year. I hear it was a great day – perfect weather, crowds of whānau and manuhiri in a celebratory mood and thought-provoking speeches by Te Rūnanga Representative for Makaawhio, Tim Rochford and Te Rūnanga Representative for Arowhenua, Quentin Hix, who focused on freshwater and what our changing New Zealand demographic might mean for both Ngāi Tahu whānau and the future of the Treaty of Waitangi.

In that context, it’s important to think about the fact that, as New Zealand’s population becomes increasingly diverse, we’re looking ahead to a very different landscape.

Who we are and how we understand ourselves will continue to change, so our thinking about New Zealand as a bicultural and multicultural nation is going to have to be refined and developed into something much more sophisticated. We are going to have to discuss this amongst ourselves rather more than we currently do. This becomes more and more important as we emerge into the post-Treaty settlement phase of our future.

At this year’s commemorations Ōnuku also hosted the Citizenship Ceremony where 40-plus immigrants from 13 countries were formally given New Zealand citizenship. This is the second time Ngāi Tahu has hosted a citizenship ceremony at Waitangi Day commemorations and I’m glad we are able to do so, as it makes the day even more meaningful. Ngāi Tārewa, ko koutou mō te manaaki tangata, nāia te mihi kau atu.

During Waitangi weekend we also celebrated the 25th birthday of our iwi radio station, Tahu FM. Past and present station staff gathered for a reunion dinner. I would like to personally congratulate Tahu FM for their great work and I look forward to the next 25 years.

On a final note I would like to acknowledge the passing of our whanaunga, Linda Grennell. Linda was a wahine toa who served not only her own iwi but Māori katoa. She was an advocate for wāhine Māori and served as the President of the Māori Women’s Welfare League from 2005 to 2008. She was a constant support for whānau in need of assistance. She was a member and Māori advocate on many health-related boards from the Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service to Kidney Health New Zealand. Linda was also a member of the Whānau Ora Taskforce in 2009, which was instrumental in preparing the way for the Whānau Ora approach – a kaupapa Linda had a strong affinity for. Koukourārata was Linda’s paradise and her aroha and hard work for whānau will be her legacy. Our aroha and condolences are with the Grennell whānau and Te Rūnanga o Koukourārata.

Mark.