Our Stories - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Precious bird life on Southland’s Bluff Hill given helping hand

While many of our forests remain under threat from pests, southern locals are making sure their area continues to prosper. Source: 1 NEWS

Armistice Day commemorations

Today Aotearoa marked the centenary of the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918. At Te Rau Aroha marae, whānau gathered for Armistice Day commemorations, paying respect to those men and women who served in the First World War. Kei wareware tātou – lest we forget.

Time to steer the waka together

By Lisa Tumahai, Kaiwhakahaere (Chair), Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Iwi leaders from throughout Aotearoa are meeting in Dunedin for the first time this week, hosted by Ngāi Tahu. The National Iwi Chairs’ Forum meets quarterly to share knowledge, work together on key issues affecting our people and to advocate our collective priorities – all…

Ngā Hau e Whā
From the Editor

And so the seasons are changing once again as winter draws to a close and we move into spring. However, as the impacts of climate change kick in, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the seasons – here in Ōtautahi the daffodils in Hagley Park are blooming earlier each year. Where it really hits home is the changes to Te Ao Tūroa – to our coastlines, our rivers, our landscapes, and, most importantly, our mahinga kai.

From the CEO

In 1951 more than 90 women delegates gathered in Wellington and became the founding branches of the Māori Women’s Welfare League. The late Princess Te Puea Herangi became patroness, and Whina Cooper (later Dame Whina) was elected President. Over its almost 70 years, the movement has cascaded to all corners of our country and has become a dynamic institution that has been embedded throughout our whānau generations. Today there are more than 3000 members, and the growth continues with the uprising of the “juniors” within some branches.

Whenua

Taramakau The Taramakau River rises in Kā Tiritiri-o-te-moana (the Southern Alps) and flows into Te Tai-o-Rehua (the Tasman Sea) south of Greymouth. The upper reaches of the Taramakau are renowned as a source of pounamu, with several significant pounamu working sites located at the river mouth.

Debating the Treaty

The treaty has a historically inconsistent role in New Zealand’s constitution and remains on uncertain ground. We need to understand its constitutional role in the colonial era, and the period of change from 1975 to 1985 that has so heavily influenced our Ngāi Tahu world today.

Māori victims of crime

A lack of education, poor life, financial and social skills, hand-in-hand with poor parenting, are at the root of crime. The solutions involve support to the parents of at-risk kids. We must ruthlessly address these issues early, and, as whānau, demand the resources to keep these kids at school, and even, if necessary, to keep their parents away from them.

Cultural Connection – a personal journey

Aoraki Bound is a 20-day cultural and personal development programme. My hīkoi was everything I hoped it would be – a chance to immerse myself in my culture, walk in the footsteps of my ancestors, and gain a greater sense of my identity. The course culminates on the shores of Lake Pūkaki, in the presence of our Maunga Ariki, Aoraki. I parted ways with my rōpū, wiping tears of gratitude from my cheeks, knowing that my life had changed forever.

Kendall Flutey
Tech entrepreneur

“I’ve had a few careers that didn’t stick,” she says from a meeting room at GreenHouse, a Christchurch business incubator. Banqer, the company she co-founded and is now the CEO, uses a nearby co-working space in the Christchurch CBD. On Twitter, Kendall calls herself “a reformed accountant on a mission”. That mission is educating Kiwi kids about finance. Her product, Banqer, is an online tool for primary and intermediate schools (years 2 to 8) to teach students about money. Earlier this year Kendall was named Young Māori Business Leader of the Year at the University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards.