An exciting year ahead

Tēnā tātou katoa,

Ngā mihi o te tau hou Pākehā. Haere rā 2020, nau mai 2021!

Last year was spent dealing with the immediate impact of COVID-19. It took time, energy and resource. And while there were negatives, we also took opportunities that were presented to us. We set our long term strategic vision Kia Pai te Noho, and now we have expanded our staff to create a team of Pou Hapori.

We have an exciting year ahead. We continue to strive to fulfil whānau aspirations, and look to improve our connections with you and with new opportunities as they arise in 2021.

And if you see an opportunity you are interested in, I wholeheartedly encourage you to take action :  find out about it! Try a new role, extend your skills, apply for our NMIT scholarship. Whatever it is, go for it!

He tina ki runga, he tāmore ki raro.

Paimāirire,

Shane Graham

In this issue

• Waitangi Day invite - Whānau fun day at Kaiteriteri
• Historic role a surprise and privilege - an interview with Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura
• Pou Hapori to help whānau achieve more, plus other staff happenings
• Apply now for $2,000 Ngāti Rārua / NMIT scholarship
• Haerenga to Ōtaki and Te Whanganui-a-tara
• Plenty of Opportunities in Taiao

Whānau fun day at Kaiteretere

Historic role a surprise and a privilege

Changing culture at NZ Police – a Ngāti Rārua connection

“I’m more surprised than anybody that I’m here.”

That’s the reaction of Tania Kura to recent news that she had been appointed a Deputy Commissioner in the New Zealand Police – the first female sworn officer to achieve that rank.

“When the Commissioner rang me it was a Friday. I said to him – do you want to take the weekend to think about it?”

He said “No. We’re sure.”

Although she applied for the role, getting it was still a surprise. Tania says she feels humbled and privileged to be in the position.

“It wasn’t something in my pathway – if you asked me when I started or five years ago, or even a year ago, I wouldn’t have expected to be here. I’ve jumped a rank – I was a District Commander. Usually you would go to Assistant Commissioner, then to Deputy Commissioner.”

But Tania, who has Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Te Kanawa and Ngāti Maniapoto whakapapa, says the real attraction for her was the role and the opportunities that come with it, not the rank.

“The commissioner has established a new role under the title Leadership and Capability. For me it’s about setting the tone and the culture of the way we police and our organisation. I am mindful that the way we treat our own people internally, will be the way we act externally when we deal with our communities. Both must be respectful. ”

Pou Hapori to help whānau achieve more

The role of the Rūnanga is to care, uphold and enhance the mana, the assets and the whānau whānui of Ngāti Rārua.

We now have a dedicated team of Pou Hapori who work to provide a range of support and services for registered whānau members as we navigate the post COVID-19 environment.

Pou Hapori provide coordination and/or facilitation of activities, projects, services, and opportunities to support the aspirations of whānau.

They also provide ngā kanohi kitea in the community to help achieve the vision of Kia Pai te Noho - our strategic plan which aims to ensure that all whānau live well.
An announcement on the new Pou Hononga role is expected soon.

Other staff happenings

• Anna Matthews joined us for a fixed term as our Māori Housing Repairs Programme Co-ordinator and has since accepted a role as Operations Assistant.

• Louisa Murray is providing support to members of the Kotahitanga mo te Taiao Alliance and is based in our Wairau Office until mid-March.

• Pete Keyanonda is contracted to provide resource management support to our Pou Taiao.

Haerenga to Ōtaki and Te Whanganui-a-tara

We gathered at the Ferry Terminal in Picton early on a Monday morning in a close circle. After a karakia, we began our journey across the water to Whanganui-a-tara.

It was smooth sailing, and once we made it into the city we went straight to Te Papa Tongarewa. We explored the main museum first, with its wonderful mix of traditional exhibits (like the Waharoa from the 1906 International Exhibition in Ōtautahi) and contemporary art installations (The web of time by Chiharu Shiota)

We met Leroy de Thierry, our guide, who was from Whakatū, and later Moana Parata, Kaitiaki Tāonga Collections Manager Māori.

Across the car park from the main public building was the Taonga Māori Collection. This was the real purpose of our visit. Housed in temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, more than 30,000 taonga of all materials and sizes are safeguarded. From pounamu to kākahu, sewing needles and hooks, to pou and carvings, taiaha and korowai, piupiu and flags and mats - some dating back to at least the 1600s.