Pānui

Hui-Tanguru 18th, 2022

Ka tiu te toroa a uta, ka hoka te toroa a tai
Te rangi pū nunui, te rangi pū roroa
Papaki kau ana ngā ngaru tuatea ki Waitangi
Horahia atu te takapou ki Pā Tangaroa
Tērā te motu kohu ko Wharekauri e takoto ake nei e Hai!

44 degrees south

Tēnā tātou katoa,

We hope you are all well and safe as we prepare for the challenges of 2022.

As Omicron begins to spread around Aotearoa, we are working to ready Wharekauri whānau for the inevitable arrival of COVID-19 on Wharekauri.

In today’s pānui we’ll look at:

• Phase Three of the Omicron public health response
• The Big Boost
• Mask wearing
• Upokohue strandings
• Updates on the activities of the Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Trust.

Over the coming weeks we will continue to communicate with you regularly to ensure you are kept informed.

If you have whānau who are not on our mailing list and would like to receive these important pānui – please encourage them to make contact with us.

2022 is going to be an interesting year. For the Iwi Trust, our commitment remains to be a key source of information, connecting whānau both on and off the island, as we work together to protect the future of Wharekauri.

Phase Two of
Red Traffic Light 

With Phase 2 comes a greater degree of self-care and responsible health management which includes self-isolation to help alleviate the pressure of hospitalisation within the health system. 

Scanning of the Tracer App and keep mask-wearing wherever possible to minimise the spread of COVID-19 and enable our island to navigate the way through should Omicron reach our shores.

The Big Boost 

The hard mahi to protect whānau hasn’t stopped. With Omicron in the community on the mainland we want all whānau Māori from tamariki (5-11yrs) to kaumātua vaccinated with second doses and those who are eligible to get their booster vaccinations.

In light of this, the month of Hui-Tanguru, February marks the ‘The Big Boost’ push. It’s a call to action for everyone who is eligible to get their boosters as soon as possible.
 
Evidence shows your protection against infection after the primary vaccination course decreases over time. Getting a ‘top up’ vaccine after your two doses helps boost your immunity against COVID-19.  And the boosters also help slow the spread and ultimately lowering the chances of getting very sick from COVID-19 so more of us can stay well.  And this will ultimately help free up our hospitals for those who need care.
 
Trials show getting a ‘top up’ vaccine after the two initial doses helps boost immunity against Covid-19 and provides 95.6 per cent greater efficiency to protect us compared to those with only the two initial doses.
 
Bringing the booster interval forward from the original four to three months means more people, especially Māori, will be able to receive a booster before Omicron takes hold in communities.

How do I get the Booster?

The COVID-19 Booster is now available at the Chatham Islands Health Centre.

To book vaccinations or a Booster, please contact the centre reception on 03 305 0035.

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccinations or the Booster, please visit the Unite Against COVID website.

Wearing Masks for Protection
 

Wearing masks continues to provide protection for healthy people and helps curb the highly transmittable Delta and Omicron from spreading. 

Below are two easy reference guides for mask wearing when we are operating in the red traffic light system:

• At public facing workplaces and 
• Where distancing is less than 1m.

Six Upokohue Stranded on Wharekauri

The stranding of our taonga, upokohue, that occurred on the beach at Waitangi, Sunday evening was saddening for all. Although a common occurrence, upokohue, also known as blackfish or pilot whales, regularly strand here on Wharekauri, Mohua Whakatu and Rakiura. 

By dawn on Monday, we arose to the saddening news that six of these taonga were stranded and still alive.  Led by MNoWIT and DOC, karakia were performed from the first stranding throughout until their return to Tangaroa and Hinemoana.

To euthanise these taonga was a difficult decision but one that was made in their best interest, a rahui was set for three days for the collection of kaimoana from this area which expired at 4.00 pm Thursday 17 February 2022.

He Matapihi nō Mua

Now Postponed

The trip to Archives New Zealand and the Alexander Turnbull Library, planned as part of He Matapihi Nō Mua to learn more about researching and how archives work, has now been postponed until later in 2022.

We will keep you updated as we work to get this exciting mahi underway as soon as possible.

Please email any pātai about this project to iwitrust@nmow.iwi.nz or digrennell@nmow.co.nz

Our Website Address

The website for Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust, is a great place for whānau to access information about the activities of the Trust and about the history of our iwi. 

Please note - the address of the site has changed and can now be found at nmow.iwi.nz.

Whānau can also stay in touch via our Facebook page.

Remain Connected

If you have moved house or changed email or phone number, please contact us via our contact page on our website nmow.iwi.nz or by email iwitrust@nmow.iwi.nz.

The Trust is working hard to keep all whānau up to date with activities on Wharekauri, managing our database is a key part of this mahi.

If you have whānau or friends who whakapapa to Wharekauri, please check if they are interested in receiving updates from us and ask them to contact us.

Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust

PO Box 50, Waitangi, Wharekauri RAPID 300 North Road, Te One, Wharekauri, Chatham Islands 8942
 

Copyright © 2022 Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust

All Rights Reserved.