An intergenerational mindset

interim CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
TE RŪNANGA O NGĀI TAHU
Ben Bateman

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Ko Ben Bateman tōku ikoa. No Te Tai Poutini au. Nō te whānau Mason rāua ko Parker.
When I was growing up on Te Tai Poutini, my whānau and the whenua meant everything. Our connection to each other, our sense of place, and the mahika kai practices of our Taua and Pōua shaped our identity. As tamariki, we felt the presence of Poutini and Waitaiki whenever we spent time at the Arahura and on the rugged Coast beaches. The magic of the West Coast never leaves you.

When I first left the Coast to attend university, I knew our Kāi Tahu identity was strong amongst our whānau, but you had to look hard for the iwi imprint within the wider community. Jump ahead a few years returning home to Te Waipounamu, my biggest reflection was how far Kāi Tahu has come. Our presence cuts deeply across our takiwā and within our regional communities. Our mātauraka and leadership is sought after and valued. The home fires are burning brighter than ever, and the future is brighter still.

After our pōtiki arrived, it became important to ensure my own children had the chance to build a strong sense of themselves and their identity as Kāi Tahu – to be around whānau, build connections, and have a sense of place.

It’s a privilege to currently be the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, following the significant legacy of Arihia Bennett. My principal focus is on leading the Office as we support the development and execution of our next intergenerational tribal vision, Mō Kā Uri: Ngāi Tahu 2050. Over 30,000 ideas have been captured from engagement with whānau over the last couple of years from across our iwi generations. It is this whakaaro that’s the heart of our collective iwi vision. I look forward to being able to share the vision with whānau once approved by Te Rūnanga.

Our identity remains strong – our whakapapa, the stories and traditions of our tīpuna, and our sense of place and connection to our whenua. However, in this current environment where many of our whānau are struggling just to stay afloat, it has never been more important for us as an iwi to move beyond short-term agendas, and double down on our intergenerational commitments.

The actions we take today will impact the lives of our future generations. This must be top of mind in every decision we make to ensure we are empowering our whānau, supporting Papatipu Rūnaka mana motuhake, and as an iwi we are resilient, sustainable and asserting our rakatirataka.

The timeless beauty and simplicity of our tribal whakataukī provides our purpose –

Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – For us and our children after us. We never end. With such purpose, we will succeed.