Taiawatea – Rangatahi Cultural Leadership Fund

Taiawatea is a rangatahi fund, which aims to help shape rangatahi who are strong, vibrant champions of Ngāi Tahu culture. It aims to empower rangatahi to connect and express their leadership in Ngāi Tahutanga.

This fund can be used to start cultural projects aimed at strengthening Ngāi Tahutanga; and or to support attendance at regional and national cultural events.

Taiawatea was named by the late, Piri Sciascia, who was a Ngāi Tahu Funds Committee member for a number of years: “Our rakatahi are the tide of the new day – Te Tai Awatea. For Kāi Tahu, Taiawatea is ever the new dawning tide, as is the taiahiahi the ever nightfall tide, representing incoming and outgoing generations of our people” – the late Piri Sciascia.

Eligibility

• Registered with Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa
• Aged between 13 and 25 years old
• The project or participation at a cultural event must align to at least one of the following pillars:
  • Whakapapa – kinship
  • Tikanga – protocols and customs
  • Te reo – language
  • Mahi toi – creative expression
  • Whenua – landscape, place and locality
  • Mahinga kai – customary food gathering, species protection and restoration
  • Ngā uara – values and beliefs
  • Ā kāinga, ā hapū, ā iwi – community engagement and participation; and
  • Mana tangata – self-determination and self-confidence.

Level of Funding Available

$500 for cultural projects and/or regional/national cultural events.

Open/Close dates

This fund is open all year round.

Apply

Apply on Te Kopa Ora - Ngāi Tahu Grants Portal using your Ngāi Tahu log in details.

You will need your six-digit whakapapa registration number and password to log in.

If you do not have these details, please call our contact centre on 0800 524 8248 (0800 Kāi Tahu).

If you do not recall the password, please click on the ‘Forgot your password?’ link here.

Things not funded by Taiawatea

• Repayment of debt
• Koha is the responsibility of those running a project and should come from the applicant
• Projects where the main purpose or focus is political sectarian or religious advocacy
• Social service delivery
• The core business of an organisation or general operational/administration function
• Major building works, equipment or vehicles
• Capital items such as laptops or cell phones
• Travel outside of New Zealand (should an applicant's project take-place overseas, Taiawatea will not cover costs associated with accommodation or travel). If you live outside of the Ngāi Tahu takiwā and travel is an issue please contact us to discuss this further.

Reporting

All rangatahi who successfully receive funding through Taiawatea will be required to submit a report upon completion of their cultural activity. Information about successful applications may be published via: The Ngāi Tahu Funds website; Te Pānui Rūnaka; Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Annual Report; Te KARAKA or other Ngāi Tahu publications.

Contact Us

Email:  [email protected]

Phone: 0800 KAI TAHU (0800 524 8248) or 03 974 0326