Our Stories - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Empowering whānau in business

It has been a challenging few years for the tourism industry, but now that borders are re-opening and there are less restrictions in place, businesses are excited and ready to welcome manuhiri back to our beautiful motu.

Connection

I tipu mai au i te poho o tētahi whānau whāngai, he whānau Pākehā. Ahakoa he Pākehā, he mea nui ki tōku māmā whāngai ngā mātāpono tika pāpori, ā, e mōhio ana ia ki ētahi o ngā aituā, o ngā āhuatanga hē, o ngā āhuatanga kino anō, kua puta ki ngā iwi o Waikato. Nā Bronwyn Thurlow.

Coming Home

The job with the long title, Assistant Governor/General Manager of Transformation, Innovation, People and Culture, is her position within the executive leadership team. The purpose of New Zealand’s central bank is Toitū te Ōhanga, Toitū te Oranga, or to promote the prosperity and wellbeing of New Zealanders and contribute to a sustainable and productive economy. For the past three years, Te Pūtea Matua has had a formal te ao Māori strategy, which is part of a holistic programme to modernise and transform the institution to be future-fit, stand tall and reflect New Zealand.

Hui-ā-Iwi 2022

The excitement was barely contained on the Saturday morning of Hui-ā-Iwi as whānau began arriving early, waiting outside Te Hapa o Niu Tireni, ready for the pōwhiri. Thankfully, the sun replaced expected rain as proceedings began. Later, kaumātua met
in the kai marquee for a long overdue kapu tī and kōrero while the stalls opened for business and whānau geared up for early Christmas shopping. There was a great range of food on offer from donuts, burgers and salmon bagels to more traditional kai Māori such as īnaka fritters, fry bread and an umu.

The world of virtual story telling

There is a story wrapped around every taonga pūoro, and what we did was create an experience where you could meet the pūtōrino and hear its voice. We got to be in the presence of Hineraukatauri, the atua of flute music. It was such a cool experience to work with Māori choreographers, musicians, composers and 3D modellers.

Lest we forget the medals and memories

At the end of World War II, service medals were awarded to the soldiers who served in the 28th Māori Battalion. Not all, however, made it into the hands of the recipients at the time. Seventy-seven years later, they are finally making their way into the hands of their descendants.

Review

I had probably seen moko kauae in books and on television, but they seemed like relics from a world that I did not know. When I was at university, I told some Pākehā friends in the pub that when I turned twenty-one, I would have to follow whānau tradition and get my moko.

Te Ao Māori

When Breyah Takitimu was little, she spent hours dancing around her dad’s music shop in Invercargill. So when she turned three, her parents, John and Julie, decided she should start dancing lessons. Fifteen years on Breyah still hasn’t stopped dancing.
“I love dancing and music, everything about it.

He Tangata
Ellesse Andrews

Ellesse Andrews is a 22-year-old track cyclist who represents New Zealand on the world stage. She was born in Ōtautahi, but grew up in Wānaka, attending Mount Aspiring College before moving to St Peter’s Cambridge for her final two years of schooling.

Stephanie Dijkstra: Representing Ngāi Tahu in governance and policy

As one of the youngest Ngāi Tahu external appointees, Murihiku-born Stephanie Dijkstra (Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mamoe), says that self-doubt is one of the challenges that she overcomes when representing the Iwi. She says taking on an external appointment role to represent Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu grew Stephanie personally and professionally.