Issue 89 - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Lifeblood of the valley flows again

Along the southern edge of the Lower Waitaki River, a team of kaiaka taiao, or indigenous rangers, have been hard at work clearing scrub, establishing native plantings and monitoring an extensive network of traps. Whiria Te Waitaki is a restoration project led by Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, weaving together aspirations for the health of the catchment, and creating career opportunities for their whānau.

Throwing for gold

In September, New Zealand Para athlete Holly Robinson brought glory to the country and ticked a goal off her personal bucket list when she won gold in the women’s F46 javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. To cap it off, she was later named the inaugural winner of The Visa Award, a global fan vote that celebrates moments of friendship, inclusion, acceptance and courage.

100 years of memories

Tūtehuarewa, an iconic presence in the bay of Koukourarata, Banks Peninsula, stands humble and dignified – as she has done for nearly a century. Easter 2023 will mark 100 years since the whare was built, “He rau tau, he tini mahara – A 100 years, a 1000 memories”.

Reo Māori Mai

There are few upsides to a global pandemic, but one positive has been a surge in interest around taha Māori and reo Māori. As a measure of that interest, Reo Māori Mai founder Ariana Stevens has created an online whānau committed to learning and living te reo Māori.