Today marks the 30th anniversary of the first Waitangi Tribunal Hearing into the Ngāi Tahu Claim. On 17 August 1987, the Waitangi Tribunal commenced its first hearing into the Ngāi Tahu Claim. The hearing began with a pōwhiri at Tuahiwi Marae, before moving the next day to Rangiora High School for the remainder of the…
In 1853, Mantell was given the task of acquiring over 7 million acres for £2,600 in the Southland region. After negotiation the Deed of Purchase was signed on 17 August 1853. As in other purchases Mantell had negotiated, he was given the power to set aside reserves for Ngāi Tahu as he thought to be…
Kristen Kohere-Soutar (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata) is set to move from being the Chair of Whai Rawa to take up a new challenge on the board of Mercer New Zealand. Mercer is one of the world’s leading firms for superannuation, investments, health and human resources consulting and products. Martin Lewington, Chief Executive Officer,…
On the road to settlement, a team of astute negotiators set up the Ngāi Tahu Land Bank – an arrangement with the Crown which gave the tribe the opportunity to ‘bank’ land that was surplus to Crown requirements in order to prevent it from being sold. This was an innovative solution which freed up Ngāi…
The Banks Peninsula claims consisted of three ‘purchases’ by the Crown (Port Cooper 1849, Port Levy 1849, and Akaroa 1856). The background against which these three Deeds were signed is complicated. The French claimed to have purchased the land from Ngāi Tahu by way of two deeds of sale in 1838 and 1840. At the…
The Government has announced they will invest $5 million into the Whakamana Te Waituna Programme and $1.25 million to enhance the habitat and Mahinga kai in the Ahuriri Lagoon. The funding comes from the Freshwater Improvement Fund and in total $44 million was allocated to projects around Aotearoa. Gail Thompson, Te Rūnanga o Awarua, confirmed…
Last year the Strategy and Influence team at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu embarked on a new workstream to ensure Ngāi Tahu continues to progress culturally and economically through climate change. Chris Brankin, Policy Advisor, Strategy and Influence, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, says this workstream was developed because Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu identified…
While many people recognise kanakana as a taonga species, little is actually known about them including their spawning and migration habits. Senior Environmental Advisor, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi, Dr Jane Kitson, says kanakana are very secretive creatures. “Kanakana have been around since before the dinosaur – with fossil records from 450 million years ago –…
The Otago Deed of Purchase, 31 July 1844, is the oldest of the official Ngāi Tahu land purchase deeds. It conveyed land to the New Zealand Company for the Scottish settlement of New Edinburgh, later renamed Otago. The Deed was signed by 23 Māori signatories and two ‘proxies’ and saw Ngāi Tahu sell over 400,000…
The Government today introduced the Hurunui/Kaikōura Earthquakes Emergency Relief Bill and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Amendment Act 2016 Amendment Bill to Parliament. The Government has also indicated a third Bill, the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquake Recovery Bill, will be introduced to the House on Thursday. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu welcomes the introduction of these Bills…
A new initiative to restore the health of Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō was launched today. The initiative will see five major players in the management of Whakaraupō/ Lyttelton Harbour – Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, and the Lyttelton Port Company – join forces to create an action…
We will respect, foster and maintain important relationships within the organisation, within the iwi and within the community.
We will pay respect to each other, to iwi members and to all others in accordance with our tikanga (customs).
We will pursue knowledge and ideas that will strengthen and grow Ngāi Tahu and our community.
We will work actively to protect the people, environment, knowledge, culture, language and resources important to Ngāi Tahu for future generations.
We will strive to ensure that the tikanga of Ngāi Tahu is actioned and acknowledged in all of our outcomes.
We will strive to maintain a high degree of personal integrity and ethical behaviour in all actions and decisions we make.
