A Monthly Newsletter of Kāi Tahu news, views and events.
Our foray into farming has started in earnest.
As reported last month, we are excited to have finally secured the lease over a piece of land at Makaawhio, known as Karaki where our people lived when they moved inland from Makaawhio Pā. Aside from our whakapapa connections, the land has been farmed for generations and we are looking forward to continuing that legacy. [Read more…]
We recently held a “celebration of life” hui for Di Wilson (Solomon), who is unwell but wanted a chance for everyone to get together at her marae. Di is a Haast stalwart and local legend, as was attested to by the number of people who came to her hui. A mistress of many talents – food and cake decorating being just two of them – she is also a bit of a mischief by all accounts. A descendent of Te Naihi Kinihe, we were privileged to host such an event for one of our own. Nō reira, e te mareikura, mā te atua koe e manaaki. [Read more…]
Kāi Tahu whānui, tēnā koutou katoa
Nei rā te mihi o Kāti Māhaki ki a koutou katoa.
Nei rā hoki te mihi poroporoaki ki kā tini mate kua hika mai, kua hika atu. Ki a rātou katoa kua hika, haere, haere, haere atu rā. Moe mai koutou i te rakimārie.
Rātou ki ā rātou, tātou anō ki a tātou. Tēnā anō tātou katoa.
The weather gods have continued to send us a mixed bag of weather here on Poutini. We have experienced all seasons including the sting of makariri. [Read more…]
Mark your calendars. If you need more information, please contact the office. Nau mai, haere mai.
Hui rūnanganui – executive meeting
Our next hui rūnanganui will be held on 11 June in Hokitika at 9.30am. Our next hui will be at the marae on 12-14 August, on Friday evening at 7.30pm, reconvening Saturday morning. For catering purposes, please let the office know if you will be attending.
Mr ‘Explorer’ Douglas
A range of events will be happening in Hokitika over Queen’s Birthday weekend to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Westland explorer, surveyor and map-maker, Charlie Douglas. This will include an exhibition, walks and a social get together at the Hokitika Regent Theatre on the Saturday.
Hākari kaumātua
This year we will be holding our kaumātua dinner at the marae on Saturday 13 August. Details will be advised next month.
Hui-ā-tau
Mark your calendars now for Saturday 8 October.
Our recent mailouts have resulted in a lot of returned mail, which means our efforts to ensure that our membership database is up-to-date, still needs plenty of work.
Members can help by contacting the office and checking that we have correct address and email contact details for you, your tamariki and/or your mokopuna.
Facebook: makaawhio.blogspot.co.nz; Twitter: @makaawhio; phone: 03 755 7885 email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki.
Mauri ora.
Thanks to a generous bequeath from Barry Smith, the remote Creswicke Flat Hut in the Landsborough was rebuilt. Upoko, Venerable Richard Wallace flew to the hut with members of Barry’s family and others to bless the new facility.
Upoko, Venerable Richard Wallace.
Whānau visited the Waiau Department of Conservation office, in Franz Josef last month as they had not had a chance to see the new office and the impressive pou, Te Mata o te Whenua which was installed as part of our interpretation work with the department.
Left to right; Marie Mahuika, Maria Russell, Rachael Forsyth, seated Richard Wallace and Barbara Vaea, next to Susan Wallace, Wayne Costello and Jo Mac Pherson.
We have had yet another full on month here on Poutini. We have hosted several groups at our marae and over Easter, whānau gathered to celebrate a milestone birthday and christening.
Ngāi Tahu Property and some of the Ngāi Tahu Farming team spent time with us on 16 March walking over land we have leased at Makaawhio before heading back to our marae for a hui and kai.
We are excited by the prospects this land offers us. Historically, this block, known as Karaki, was where Kāti Māhaki lived, when they moved inland from Makaawhio Pā, so it’s great to have finally secured a lease for it. [Read more…]
Congratulations to Te Hinewai Smith and Taute Eparaima, who welcomed their son at 3.25am on 24 January in Taihape. Wirihana Taute Eparaima is the great-great grandson of Kairarunga Pepene Tiwini Poharama and Te Oti Smith, and great-grandson of Wilson Smith and Merepaea Pohe.
Wirihana Taute Eparaima.
Easter was a time for extra celebration at Makaawhio this year with the 21st for Kahurangi Mahuika at the Bruce Bay Hall and our marae, and the christening at St Peter’s Church Jacobs River of Beau Jack and Nixon Paitoto Condon, sons of Nikki-Leigh (née Wilson) and Hayden Condon, and mokopuna of Kara Edwards.
St Peter’s Church has featured in Ngāti Māhaki whānau histories since it opened in the early 1930s. Ngā mihi huritau ki a Kahurangi, ngā mihi iriiringa hoki ki a Beau rāua ko Nixon. [Read more…]
Kāi Tahu whānui, tēnā koutou katoa. Nei rā te mihi o Kāti Māhaki ki a koutou katoa. Nei rā hoki te mihi poroporoaki ki kā mate huhua kua hika mai, kua hika atu. Ki a rātou katoa kua hika, haere, haere, haere atu rā. Haere ki te taha o kā mātua tīpuna e tatari ana ki tua o te ārai. Moe mai koutou i te rakimārie. Rātou ki ā rātou, tātou anō ki a tātou. Tēnā anō tātou katoa.
In addition to the countless meetings and hui over the past month, we signed off our updated MOU with the West Coast DHB on 31 March. The agreement with Poutini Ngāi Tahu Rūnanga is a partnership and relationship document, which supports how we work together. Our manawhenua committee, Tatau Pounamu were there to support the signing.
Left to right; Back: Susan Wallace, Lisa Tumahai and Wayne Seeker. Front: Paul Madgwick, Peter Ballantyne (Chair West Coast DHB), Francois Tumahai and Elinor Stratford.
By now most of you should have received ballot papers to vote for the seven rūnanga members who will make up the Makaawhio Appointment Committee, charged with selecting our Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio Representative to our tribal council, Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio. A record thirteen members were nominated.
The ballot process is carried out independently and closes on 22 April 2016. In line with the ballot process, last month we notified that our membership would be closed to new members from 18 April 2016 to 20 May 2016, and if required extended for a further period to 15 July 2016.
As the Postal Ballot process will close from 22 April 2016 there is no longer a need to close membership to new members beyond that date. Therefore, membership applications received after 18 April, will be held for processing on 23 April 2016.
The Makaawhio Appointment Committee membership will be advised once the outcome of ballot process is known.
Mark your calendars. If you need more information, please contact the office. Nau mai, haere mai.
Mr Explorer Douglas
A range of events will be happening in Hokitika over Queens Birthday Weekend to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the Westland explorer, surveyor and map maker, Charlie Douglas. These events will include an exhibition, walks and a social get together at the Hokitika Regent Theatre on the Saturday.
Hui-ā-tau (AGM) 2016
Mark your calendars now – Saturday 8 October 2016.
Our recent mail-outs have resulted in a lot of returned mail, which means our efforts to ensure that our membership database is up-to-date still needs plenty of work. Members can help by contacting the office and checking we have correct address and email contact details for you, your tamariki and/or your mokopuna.
Facebook: makaawhio.blogspot.co.nz;
Twitter: @makaawhio; phone 03 755 7885
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki. Mauri ora.
Mark your calendars for the events below. If you need more information, please contact the office.
Nau mai, haere mai.
Hui Rūnanganui
Our next Hui Rūnanganui (executive meeting) will be held at our marae at 9am on 23 April. The following meeting will be in Hokitika, 9.30am 11 June. Please let the office know if you are attending for catering purposes. [Read more…]
We recently hosted the West Coast Conservation Board at our marae. After attending a community hui in Haast, they came to us for another hui and overnight stay. The hui provided an excellent opportunity to present and discuss partnership, what it looks like in action and to experience the varied kaupapa that the board deals with when they meet.
Meeting in progress in the marae.
Dennise Robinson has taken a step closer to fulfilling her aspirations to coach football at a national level, when she was selected from hundreds of young people internationally to participate in the Arsenal Football Club Gap Year programme. She packed up and moved to London where she has almost completed stage one of the program, gaining F.A (Football Association) coaching qualifications and the coaching footballers with disabilities module. [Read more…]
The weather gods have continued to send us a mixed bag of weather here on Poutini. From hazy summer days and sunburn, to gentle showers and heavy rain and a few spectacular thunder and lightning displays. Sadly the deafening sound of the cicadas are fading – a signal that Raumati is also fading.
We have had another full on month here on Poutini. We have begun the process for our Electoral Ballot and Makaawhio Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Representative for nominations for the committee, and applications for the TRoNT Representative. This date will have passed by the time the magazine comes out. Always check dates against publication date. [Read more…]
Anton Overy was honoured to visit Gallipoli last year with his maternal grandfather, the place where his great Uncle Jack Bannister and several other Kāti Māhaki men served. The great-great-grandson of Margaret Bannister, Anton descends from armed forces stock.
His father Edward and grandmother Wendy both served in the Royal New Zealand Navy and his great-grandfather Stanley James Sampson, served in the Māori Battalion Company D during WWII. [Read more…]
Easter was a time for extra celebration at Makaawhio this year with the 21st for Kahurangi Mahuika at the Bruce Bay Hall and our marae, and the christening at St Peter’s Church Jacobs River of Beau Jack and Nixon Paitoto Condon, sons of Nikki-Leigh (née Wilson) and Hayden Condon, and mokopuna of Kara Edwards.
St Peter’s Church has featured in Ngāti Māhaki whānau histories since it opened in the early 1930s. Ngā mihi huritau ki a Kahurangi, ngā mihi iriiringa hoki ki a Beau rāua ko Nixon. [Read more…]
The Governor General, Sir Jerry Mataparae and his wife Lady Janine had a jam-packed itinerary while here on the coast, starting with a pōwhiri at Arahura Marae on 23 February, where Poutini Kāi Tahu jointly welcomed him.
Later in the afternoon he met with students, board members and staff at Westland High School. Students shared their experiences following the Waitangi Day fire, which made national headlines and displaced students and staff, who have been continuing their learning journey across multiple halls and venues in Hokitika. It will be some time before they return to the school. Staff, students and the community have pulled together to meet the challenges presented and most importantly, students do not feel their learning has been compromised. [Read more…]
Kāi Tahu whānui, tēnā koutou katoa. Nei rā te mihi o Kāti Māhaki ki a koutou katoa. Nei rā hoki te mihi poroporoaki ki kā mate huhua kua hika mai, kua hika atu. Ki a rātou katoa kua hika, haere, haere, haere atu rā. Haere ki te taha o kā mātua tīpuna e tatari ana ki tua o te ārai. Moe mai koutou i te rakimārie. Rātou ki ā rātou, tātou anō ki a tātou.
Our next Hui Rūnanganui will be held on 23 April 2016 at our Marae starting at 9.00am, followed by a meeting to Hokitika, scheduled for 11 June 2016 and starting at 9.30am. Please let the office know if you are attending for catering purposes.
We will be holding a film evening, with a mixture of recent and historical rūnanga videos and movies at our Marae on Sunday 24th April. The night before ANZAC Day, “movie night” will kick off at 6.30pm in Kaipo and no doubt will provide a few laughs, some tears and another great opportunity for whakawhanukataka!
We will again be marking ANZAC Day at our Marae on 25 April, with a commemorative service, starting at 10.30am at our Marae.
We have been working on a new website for the rūnanga for some time. It is almost ready for whānau to access. There is a members’ only section on the website and in order to access this you will need to be a registered member. Please contact Rachael in the office to check that you are registered.
Our recent mail-outs have resulted in a lot of returned mail, which means our efforts to ensure that our membership database is up-to-date, still needs plenty of work. Members can help by contacting the office and checking we have correct address and email contact details for you, your tamariki and/or your mokopuna.
Facebook: makaawhio.blogspot.co.nz;
Twitter: @makaawhio; phone 03 755 7885
[email protected] or [email protected]
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki. Mauri ora.
Last year, we started working to update our database in preparation for the completion of our electoral ballot process, which will elect the Makaawhio appointment committee made up of seven members.
The Makaawhio appointment committee is responsible for the recruitment and recommendation for appointment of our Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative, which is a three-year appointment.
As we have in the past, we will be running a dual process and calling for nominations for the Makaawhio appointment committee and applications for the committee to consider for the Makaawhio representative to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. [Read more…]
Back from Mahitahi, whānau gathered out at Woodstock Domain on 8 February for our annual picnic and sports day. A bit of friendly competition, topped off with kai and whanaukataka saw another enjoyable day with more than the 60 whānau.
Whānau who gathered together for our annual picnic and sports day.