Posts Tagged ‘Arihia Bennett’

From the CEO
Lockdown Learnings

You would be silly to think that working from home over the past three months has slowed productivity to a snail’s pace – from my experience it certainly isn’t the case. Adjusting to staying within your home environment 24/7 was something we all had thrust on us at short notice. Whether on your own or in a house full of whānau, we had to find ways to cope within our confined space. There were many things I noticed during lockdown – from the empty sound of silence at night due to no planes across the usual flight path, to no early morning traffic noise in the distance on the motorway. I also started to notice the beautiful birdsong outside my window, and after checking out all the sounds on Mrs Google, I’m sure I heard the korimako (bellbird).

Arahina te iwi ki te ora

He kōrero whānui nā te kaihautū o Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu mō ngā mahi a te iwi i tēnei wā o te hōrapa o COVID-19.

From the CEO
2020 – Extraordinary Times

As governments around the world announce drastic measures to deal with the virus our everyday activities are being altered to prevent its spread. Public gatherings have been limited and a thing called “social distancing” (where people meeting should not be too close together) is the new norm. Hand sanitiser has suddenly gained in popularity, but the effectiveness of facemasks to keep germs in or out or neither is unclear. Our whanaungatanga rituals are ill-advised in the current environment and making modifications is difficult – albeit necessary – as we are forced to stop and think about engagement, hongi, touching or even embracing one another. Greetings like raised eyebrows, touching elbows or simply bowing have become the new rituals.

From the CEO
A time to give thanks

As another year draws to a close, I can’t help thinking of the extraordinary heartfelt reaction to the harrowing events of March 15 in Christchurch. This changed not only the city but also the country; and had a profound impact across the world. We give thanks to the bravery of all those affected, especially our Muslim communities both near and far. At a time of great sorrow they brought a loving and compassionate response that has left an everlasting impression across our wider society. In this time of great trauma, I watched how kindness prevailed to bring inner peace. We need to imbue this within our way of being.

14th November 2019

Posted under: Pānui

Ngāi Tahu launches pilot internship with MFAT

Ngāi Tahu Holdings Matakahi scholar Makayla Glancy (Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio) will be joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) as an intern over the 2019/2020 summer. This year, MFAT and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu have partnered to enable a Matakahi scholar to intern at the Ministry alongside the Ministry’s Aorere interns….

From the CEO
Big plans ahead for me!

I know you are supposed to be discreet about your age but it’s a bit late for that now as I move closer towards that gold card than most others around me in the workplace. As a child it seemed to take forever for my birthday to roll around each year, knowing that a present would arrive from my grandmother in the form of a card with 20 cents inside the envelope. Of course once this landed in my lap, I was straight down to the corner dairy to buy a bag of lollies. This event marked another year older.

23rd September 2019

Posted under: Pānui

Ngāi Tahu and Air New Zealand formalise relationship

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Air New Zealand have signed a future-focused, strategic relationship agreement aimed at boosting economic growth in Te Waipounamu. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Chief Executive Officer Arihia Bennett says the agreement formalises a partnership that will deliver meaningful outcomes for the iwi and airline and is much more than…

From the CEO
Haea Te Awa

With the government’s Wellbeing Budget now announced, we can get on with our own future planning. For the past 18 months we have been working on turning our attention to better positioning our papatipu rūnanga to lead their own wellbeing, environment, and economic aspirations. The idea of regional development has created a groundswell of interest across our rūnanga, with a number readying themselves to lead the way into local investment opportunities. The thought of creating local employment with our own whānau in our own businesses in our own regions is certainly something to get excited about.

Oranga Tamariki
Where to from here?

In April 2017, the statutory care and protection agency for Aotearoa (formerly Child, Youth and Family – CYF) re-established themselves as Oranga Tamariki, committing to a five-year transformational plan to overhaul the culture and practice of the entire organisation. In November last year, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Oranga Tamariki entered into a Strategic Partnership, in keeping with the government agency’s intention to work more closely with iwi to improve outcomes for Māori.

From the CEO
Health is wealth

Another year has rolled around and it seems like it happened quicker than ever – maybe it’s just what happens to your perception as you get older, noting that the clock is ticking. Or perhaps it is a reflection of the number of activities I am trying to cram into my life. We are surrounded by so many cautions to take care of our wellbeing: watch what we eat, watch our blood pressure, become vegetarian, become vegan, get plenty of sleep, exercise, walk, yoga, meditate, mindfulness – the list goes on.