Culture Stories Archives - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
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Justin Tipa elected Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Justin Tipa (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe) has been elected Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) of Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu, replacing Lisa Tumahai who step downs after seven years in the role. Yesterday’s election was held during a tribal hui at Arahura Marae near Hokitika. A vote for the Kaiwhakahaere Tuarua (Deputy Chair) was also held during the hui,…

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Ngāi Tahu marks 25 years since Settlement

  Our iwi has celebrated the anniversary of the Crown Settlement by holding a tribal climate change symposium with whānau.  In 1998, Ngāi Tahu received an apology from the Crown, cultural and tribal redress, and $170 million compensation. It was the culmination of a quest for justice over seven generations.  In the 25 years since,…

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Waitangi Day Address by Dr Michael J. Stevens, Awarua 2021

Dr Michael J. Stevens (Kāti Rakiāmoa me Kāi Te Ruahikihiki; nō te whānau Metzger ki Awarua) Waitangi Day Address – Ngāi Tahu Treaty Commemorations Te Rau Aroha Marae 6 February 2021 A few weeks ago Tā Tipene asked me if I would like to compose and deliver a Waitangi Day Address – and by asked,…

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He Rau Mahara – Honouring our tīpuna who served in the Great War

The blessing and unveiling of He Rau Mahara, a Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu publication paying tribute to the Ngāi Tahu soldiers of WW1, was a chance for those descendants of veterans interviewed to celebrate their Papa, Pōua or great uncle and reflect on the trials they faced in the Great War. He Rau Mahara,…

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First Waitangi Tribunal Hearing of the Ngāi Tahu Claim

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…

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Banks Peninsula Deeds of Purchase

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…

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The Otago Deed, 1844

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…

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