Hui, events and pānui.
Latest Issue of Te Puna Pānui now available
In this 2020 issue of Te Puna Pānui, Ngāti Tama looks back on the past 12 months, covid-19, the unveiling and blessing of pouwhenua, Ngā Tīmoti, and present the Ngāti Tama Strategy 2050.
Message from the Chairman
Welcome to Te Puna Pānui December 2020. As we draw closer to the end of the work year, school year and ‘year of Covid’, I hope our whānau are looking forward to Christmas and the festive season. It is a busy time for us and like many of you, we are keen to close the lid on 2020 and start fresh in 2021.
2020 has thrown us many challenges, but it has shown above all to keep whānau wellbeing as the number one priority. This year we have all adapted through many changes and we thank whānau for baring with us through those changes. We understand that whānau may still be struggling as we continue to feel the effects of lockdowns, border restrictions, unstable work, and reduced income. We want to support you our whānau as much as we can.
2020 has thrown us many challenges, but it has shown above all to keep whānau wellbeing as the number one priority. This year we have all adapted through many changes and we thank whānau for baring with us through those changes. We understand that whānau may still be struggling as we continue to feel the effects of lockdowns, border restrictions, unstable work, and reduced income. We want to support you our whānau as much as we can.
Our 2020 AGM was postponed to October due to lockdown and although some restrictions were still in place, we were able to gather a quorum and livestream the proceedings through our online Ngāti Tama app. We received positive feedback from many of you, whānau were able to make comments and put questions to the Trustees. We will continue to find ways such as livestreaming so that whānau can participate in Tama kaupapa. We look forward to hosting our next AGM and whānau wānanga in Whakatū, these dates are set for Friday 23rd of April to Monday 26th of April – save these dates whānau.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum meet every 4 month and recently we gathered in Ngāmotu, New Plymouth. Hosted by our Taranaki whanaunga, on the 5th and 6th of November, a date of huge significance as the commemoration of the 1881 invasion of Parihaka, the mamae of this hara was acknowledged throughout the hui.
Te Whata, www.tewhata.io was launched at The National Iwi Chairs Forum and is an innovative data platform. Te Whata currently has Census, Te Kupenga data and Ministry of Education data available to access on an Iwi-by-Iwi basis and also has the ability for individual iwi to administer and customise to suit their purposes. This site was borne out of the bungled 2013 Census and the significant undercount of the Māori population.
Ngāti Tama also responded to the poor 2013 census data by delivering our own Iwi Census earlier this year. We had 28% of members participate, which is a relatively high iwi participation rate and a great benchmark milestone for us. Ngāti Tama will continue to deliver the census regularly as the data is invaluable to the Trust’s strategic planning and development.
The 2020 Tama Census supported the development of the Tama 2050 Strategy
Our new Ngāti Tama strategy is presented further along in this pānui. Post-covid Ngāti Tama is financially in a strong position. Tama Asset Holding Company decided to maintain higher levels of cash and now they are ready for good direct investments that might come up because of covid.
We understand that whānau may still be struggling as we continue to feel the effects. We want to support you, our whānau as much as we can. Now in recovery, we are finding ways to relieve pressure from families in addition to the relief grants, kai packs, and vouchers. Earlier this year Ngāti Tama secured funding from RUIA to supply back to school packs to our tamariki, tamariki nohinohi and rangatahi. Packed with stationery, books and Ngāti Tama merchandise, we can support our kids to be prepared for the 2021 school year. More details about ordering a pack is inside this pānui.
In closing, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, stay safe on the roads and if you are travelling, look after one another. To our whānau who live outside of the rohe, if you have no other plans I invite you to consider coming to Te Tauihu, to your place, to explore and learn, come for the holidays, the summer or come to our AGM in April – nau mai hoki mai ki te ūkaipō.
Nō reira, tēnā tatou e te whānau o Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu.
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BUTCH LITTLE
CHAIR
MEDIA RELEASE: Ngāti Tama present taonga to inaugural winners of the Best Whakangahau category at Te Huinga Whetū Festival 2020
Tuesday 15th December 2020
Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust today presented a specially made taonga to the first ever winners of the Best Whakangahau Group category from Te Huinga Whetū Festival 2020.
The new category at the festival is an encouragement to students to rise, persevere and never give up and is being recognised with a taonga commissioned by Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust.
Brightwater School are the inaugural winners of the Best Non-Competitive Group category.
Chairman of Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust, AnthonyLittle said “we would like to congratulate the students on their achievement and hard work in preparing for the festival.
Anthonysays “The new category is to encourage new groups to consider participating in the competitive section”
The taonga was commissioned by Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust was created by master artist Brian Flintoff.
Brian explained that the taonga is ‘a pūmoana or pūtātara made from a triton shell, wood, and feathers to represent the children of both Tāne and Tangaroa’.
This taonga is named ‘Poutama’, to recognise the continual levels of learning, growth, and achievement in kapahaka”.
In their first ever performance at the competition, Brightwater School won the non-aggregate category of best whakangahau group
Brightwater school were unable to receive the taonga at the prizegiving on the day and Waimea College accepted the trophy on the school’s behalf.
Today, Brightwater School students, teachers, and Ngāti Kōata welcomed Ngāti Tama and Te Tauihu Cultural Council to the school for the official presentation of the taonga to students.
The next Huinga Whetū Festival is set for 2021.
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Contact Information
For queries and more information contact the Ngāti Tama Communications Manager
Christina Harris Pakeho – Communications Manager
comms@ngati-tama.iwi.nz
03 548 1740
More Information
There are two faces to the wood – one with a a heru carved into it symbolising Rangatira status and representing Ngāti Tama paramount chief, Te Pūoho ki Te Rangi. The other face includes a feather – depicting the Hakawai bird that is now only seen in the heavens, after famously competing with the Kārearea by flying higher and higher into the skies.
Media Release: Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu and Ngā Tīmoti community unveil and bless pouwhenua at Ngā Tīmoti School
Tuesday 15th December 2020
Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu and Ngā Tīmoti community unveil and bless pouwhenua at Ngā Tīmoti School
A pouwhenua recognising the connection between Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu and Ngatimoti School was unveiled and blessed on Friday at a dawn ceremony in Motueka.
The pouwhenua was commissioned by the Trust and carved by Ōtūwhero resident, Tim Wraight as part of connecting with school sites that were returned to Ngāti Tama.
Ngāti Tama purchased the schools land from the crown as part of their commercial redress package in settlement in 2014.
Chairman of Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu, Anthony Little, says “we acknowledge Tim for his creative interpretation and in particular for incorporating specific aspects pertaining to Ngāti Tama and their Taranaki origins, and the local Ngā Tīmoti area. Tēnā rā koe e te hoa e Tim.”
Carver Tim Wraight designed the pouwhenua to reflect kaitiakitanga of the natural environment that the children and school community are involved with.
Wraight explains that “the top is the head of a Ngāti Tama tupuna carved in the same way as the head at the top of a tokotoko with the conical peak representing Taranaki mounga”
“This has the face looking both forward to the future and backwards to remember the past”
As the Ngā Tīmoti community, school and Ngāti Tama iwi admired the Pouwhenua, a crowd favourite came in the form of the tamaiti (child) carved into the base of the Pouwhenua and peering out from beneath the cloak. The tamaiti represents the children of the school.
The Pouwhenua unveiling was also a chance to reflect on the history of the local area, and discuss how the several versions of the name of the school and area came about.
Cultural Manager at Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust Te Ahu Rei explained that “one popular version follows the story of a man by the name of Tīmoti (Timothy) – an avid eeler in the local area who carved, ‘Nā Tīmoti’ (belonging to Tīmoti), into a tree to mark his fishing spot”
He says that “it appears that over the years, the name has gone through some changes and is now more commonly spelt as one word ‘Ngātīmoti’ which may be interpreted as ‘Ngā Tīmoti (the descendants of Tīmoti)”.
The pouwhenua is the second installation by Ngāti Tama at a school. The first pouwhenua was unveiled and blessed in December 2019 at Motupipi School in Mohua.
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Contact Information
For queries and more information contact the Ngāti Tama Communications Manager
Christina Harris Pakeho – Communications Manager
03 548 1740
Reminder – Nelson Tenth’s High Court hearing in Wellington
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Take part in the Ngāti Tama Census 2020
Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust would like to hear from you, our iwi members.
Take part in Ngāti Tama’s first CENSUS so we can plan the next 10 years with whānau in mind.
We are capturing whānau information in our first official member count. It takes a snapshot of our registered iwi members in New Zealand, abroad and the places where we live.
This census and will be done regularly to help understand how our iwi changes over time. We encourage all our members 13 years and older to participate, if you have rangatahi in your household who are Ngāti Tama, please get them to complete the census.
This information will help inform Ngāti Tama’s strategic direction for the next 10 years in areas such as education, health, housing and Te Reo me ōna Tikanga to name a few.
Kaumātua and some whānau will be sent printed copies of the census. If you would like a printed copy, please contact the office.
For help completing this form contact Ngāti Tama office on:
- 0800 8262 494
- (03) 548 1740 or
- whanau@ngati-tama.iwi.nz
See here for a copy of our privacy statement and FAQ
#Protect Our Whakapapa
This is an unsettling time. It’s new for all of us and it changes every day. So as whānau Māori, #ProtectOurWhakapapa! made a website to bring together simple, clear, trustworthy information and help about the COVID-19 pandemic.
We can’t physically go to our marae right now, or even each others’ homes to have a kōrero and a kapu tī. Online spaces are more important than ever before.
On their website there are links to official, up-to-date information about the virus. They have posters that you can share with whānau of all ages. There are links for all of the whānau – support for wāhine, tāne, and games and apps for our tamariki.
We’re all in this together – we can do it, whānau – let’s #ProtectOurWhakapapa!
He mihi maioha,
Tēnā koutou e te iti, e te rahi e whakarauika mai nei ki tēnei marae kōrero o Ngāti Tama. Tuatahi, me huri ō tātou ngākau ki te hunga kua nunumi atu ki te pō, haere, oti atu rā. Ko rātou te hunga wairua ki rātou, ko tātou ngā mahuetanga iho o rātou mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Welcome to this platform to help us ‘hiki wairua’ – boost our spirits and encourage us to keep doing what we’re doing during this trying time of the Covid-19 lockdown. We will take this opportunity to provide ‘food for thought’ with some snippets from our local history in Te Tauihu, discussion about place names and customs, some Māori language tips, waiata and karakia.
Te Hiki Wairua o Ngāti Tama ki Te Tauihu gives whānau the opportunity to connect with their whakapapa and iwi through stories, information and teachings. This pānui will be a regular segment, each week focusing on different aspects of Ngāti Tama, we welcome whānau contribution.