Huaki
“To bring to Light”
Edition 18
Long-term view, needs of people, drive
Māori business leader Pita Tipene
Northland’s top Māori business leader, Pita Tipene, is mot not by money but by the needs of his people in the Mid Nort
Pita Tipene is guided by the words of ancestor Te Ruki Kawati: “look to the horizons of the sea, for there you will find wellbeing ” The message inspires him to think globally and act strategically
Tipene’s leadership spans multiple roles, including chairing Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust, Waitangi National Trust, Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau, the Indigenous Peoples Economic Co-operative Trade Agreement, Radio Ngāti Hine, and Ruapekapeka Trust
For these contributions, he was rece the Māori Business Leader Award a Taitokerau Māori Business Excellenc
His approach to leadership rejects all-costs model, favouring a circula grounded in Māori values A key ex Pouahi o Te Taitokerau, the housin he founded in 2020 to address hom in Kawakawa. The initiative receive in government funding, with buildi and an eventual aim of self ffi i
Far North Roading wins top honour at Māori Business Excellence
Far North Roading Group had never entered business before, so winning a prestigious one came as a surprise. The company has transformed from paving forestry becoming an award-winning operation.
What began as a small forestry roadbuilding business has grown into an award-winning civil construction company employing 160 people across Northland
Far North Roading Group was named Supreme Winner at the 2025 Tai Tokerau Māori Business Excellence Awards in Whangārei on March 7, also taking home the Māori Enterprise Award in the “employing more than 14 staff” category
It was the Kaitāia-based business’s first time entering the awards Managing director Manu Burkhardt-Macrae called the recognition “a nice surprise” and a tribute to the team’s hard work
Founded in 2011 by Brady Wild and others, the company expanded significantly after
Burkhardt-Macrae joined road building, it now oper consulting, quarries, and c including Waka Kotahi, Kā Ministry of Education
Major projects include the Hiku Sports Hub, Kā Uri to Awanui, civil works for Bun a significant portion of the roundabout Other work i housing in Kaitāia and sch in Taipa
Burkhardt-Macrae credits companys success “They train and come back They community ”
TaiTokerauMāori BusinessLeaderAward winnerPitaTipenesays heisaservantforhis peopleoftheMidNorth.
Photo/DenisePiper
Anzac Day Commemorative Evening Service at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds
The Waitangi National Trust, in partnership with the 28 (Māori) Battalion Taitokerau Association (A Coy), are hosting an Anzac Day Commemoration Evening Service at the Upper Treaty Grounds. The 28 (Māori) Battalion has a special connection with the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as the soldiers were present at the Centennial of the Treaty signing in 1940 before going to war in Africa and Europe.
TThe Waitangi National Trust, in partnership with the 28 (Māori) Battalion Taitokerau Association (A Coy), are hosting an Anzac Day Commemoration Evening Service at the Upper Treaty Grounds
The 28 (Māori) Battalion has a special connection with the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as the soldiers were present at the Centennial of the Treaty signing in 1940 before going to war in Africa and Europe
The Anzac Evening Service starts at 5pm with a parade up the Nias Track by the Leadership Academy of A Company, followed by He Tikanga Karakia He Tohu Whakamaharatanga / Anzac Day Commemorative Service in front of Te Whare Rūnanga A Field of Remembrance consisting of 569 memorial crosses with the
FieldofRemembrance–569crossesattheWaitangiTreatyGroundsrepresentingsoldiersfromthe28(Māori)Battalionwho werekilledinactionandburiedoverseas
names of Māori service personnel killed in action and buried overseas will be laid on 22 April and will remain in place for visitors to view two weeks post-Anzac Day.
This year’s programme centres on the themes of sacrifice and service, paying tribute to the dedication of New Zealand veterans who have served in conflicts and peacekeeping missions since the Second World War Since 1945, our Defence Force has served with courage and commitment from the Korean and Vietnam Wars to peacekeeping efforts in the Sinai, Bosnia, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands In Afghanistan, New Zealand forces played a critical role in reconstruction and security, with ten personnel making the ultimate sacrifice Today, the New Zealand Defence Force
continues to respond to global challenges, including disaster relief peacekeeping and maritime security This ANZAC Day, Waitangi invites the public to reflect on the ongoing service of our veterans and reaffirm our shared commitment to peace.
Anzac Day allows the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of all New Zealanders’ during times of war Men, women and children all played their part either on the front line or on the Home Front supporting those who went to war while ensuring the country, marae and whānau were in the best shape possible More information on the Māori Home Front can be found inside Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of Citizenship
CEO of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Ben Dalton said “as our nation broadens its awareness of the scope and nature of service, we are honoured to offer our annual Anzac service as a way of acknowledging the contribution of all those that have served our nation and the deep enduring connections with the Waitangi Treaty Grounds ”
The Anzac Day Evening Service at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is a free public event The gates at Hobson Memorial at the Upper Treaty Grounds open at 4pm Kai is available for purchase before and after the service
Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou
We will remember them
Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi Announces New Exhibition: Operation Grapple
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are pleased to announce our latest exhibition, Operation Grapple – We Were There, open from 18 April – 6 July 2025. Photographer Denise Baynham was moved to create an exhibition highlighting the stories of 19 Operation Grapple veterans. This insightful exhibition combines portrait photographs of the veterans in the own homes accompanied by their stories told in their own words.
Operation Grapple was a series of thermonuclear/hydrogen weapons tests conceived and conducted by the British government in the South Pacific Ocean, at Malden Island and Kiritimati. Operation Grapple began in May of 1957 and concluded in September 1958, with nine tests being held in total. The Royal New Zealand Navy provided a survey ship, the HMNZS Lachlan to carry out a survey of both Islands, as well as frigates, the HMNZS Pukaki and Rotoiti for the detonations. Pukaki was present in all 9 tests, while Rotoiti was present during the first four
Over the course of these tests a total of 551 New Zealand naval personnel manned these ships. Their duties consisted of witnessing the detonation of the nuclear devices and collecting weather data as close as 37 kilometres to ground zero. The largest of the detonations, Grapple Y
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Afully illustrated wellbeing journal for children, based upon the Māori principles of hauora, from the bestselling author of Whakawhetai: Gratitude
Kia ora! Welcome – this pukapuka is especially for you!
Inside you’ll find lots of activities and ideas to help you learn all about the different sides of yourself – and how they make you happy – from your whānau, to moving your body, to caring for others and the environment Theres also room for you to write your thoughts and to draw and doodle, cool pictures to colour in and heaps more
So, pai tū pai hinga – give it a go!
was hundreds of times larger than the Hiroshima bomb dropped on Japan.
Curator Owen Taituha says “This exhibition presents an exciting opportunity to hero the previously unsung stories of some of our country’s brave veterans Operation Grapple provides a unique insight into the personal experiences and lived history of these men. It is an honour to be able to display this exhibition as part of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds Anzac commemorations.”
These portraits honour and recognise these veterans This is their story.
PHOTO:TereTahi,OperationGrapple
Credit:DeniseBaynham
Tāngata Whenua an Catchment Fund op for applications
Do you have a project to improve the quality of freshwater in Te Taitokerau?
Expressions of interest are open for Northland Regional Council’s new freshwater quality improvement fund, the Tāngata Whenua and Catchment Fund.
The fund has up to $40,000 available for single-year projects or up to $60,000 for projects running for up to three years.
The fund is open to established legal or operational community groups, catchment groups, marae committees, hapū trusts, and iwi authorities outside the Kaipara catchment. Groups in the Kaipara catchment are funded through the Kaipara Moana Remediation programme – see kmr.org.nz/funding for more information.
Council Deputy Chair Tui Shortland encouraged groups with a range of different types of freshwater projects to apply, including on-the-ground mahi, fostering community engagement and awareness, kaitiaki engagement, and relevant training and professional services.
“We know much of our freshwater in Te Taitokerau is in a poor state, and there has been huge loss to the maur of wai māori (freshwater), ecosystems and taonga species that rely on wai,” she said.
“Action to tackle these problems could look different depending on where yo are, your local community, and what you want to do. So we designed the fund to be flexible ”
Expressions of interest are open from 1 April until 31 May 2025. You can express your interest by completing the online form at www.nrc.govt.nz/ twcf or contact Northland Regional Council’s Land Management team for more information on 0800 002 004 or landadmin@nrc.govt.nz
AUNTY’S GARDEN
HanuiLawrence
POTATO and KAMOKAMO BAKE
What you need
(Make to your family size and taste)
• 6 medium potatoes (Agria is best for this recipe because they’re nice and firm, and don’t mash up)
• 2 medium kamokamo
• 1 red onion (optional but it’s more tasty with)
• 3 rashes of bacon
• 2 cups of cream
• cup of grated cheese
• salt and pepper
Method
• Steam potatoes and kamokamo until half cooked
• When cool, slice into oven dish, layering potato first then kamokamo on top
• Finely slice bits of bacon and red onion and spread over the top, then spread over the cheese and finally pour over the cream
• Bake in oven for 15-20 mins at 180C or until cheese is golden brown.
Need trees for erosion control?
Orders are open for subsidised poplars and willows. A grant is also available to help fund a contractor to plant your council poplars and willows
For more info, visit nrc.govt.nz/orderingpoplars or contact our Land Management team on 0800 002 004 or nursery@nrc.govt.nz
Bringing whānau together on the Pīpīwai whenua
Sonny Henare is loving his time back on the whānau whenua at Pīpīwai. And he is mighty enthusiastic when he speaks of his desire to protect and nurture the land and do his forebears proud with the help of Kaipara Moana Remediation’s Whenua Whānui Fund.
Sonny is working closely with his whānau from Aotearoa and Australia to fence chunks of the 28-hectare property to protect existing natives and waterways –the Kaikou awa and Mangataeore Awa Part of that mahi is removing fences in floodplains and putting them higher up on the land to be clear of flood damage Additional native plantings will be worked in amongst the existing (and in some cases well-established) native stands
So far almost 1.5km of five-wire fencing has been completed with Sonny’s Uncle Robert Henare and another Uncle, Atawhai Henare, joining with other whānau at various times over the summer months of 2024/2025 to help with the fencing. In fact, Robert flew back from Australia for a few weeks to get the project moving and ultimately help protect the Kaikou awa from cattle grazing in it.
Once the fencing is complete - and more will be done in years to come – troughs will be put back and areas that were once paddocks farmed by his Grandparents
Hoone and Mate Henare, will be cleaned up so cattle can be grazed again.
“I heard about KMR funding and I thought it might be an opportunity for us With mahi I do working in the waterway as around here I realised collectively as a valley we should all be doing this,” says Sonny
“As a whānau we are doing what we can as we can afford it and we are also gradually, as individuals, moving back to the land.”
Sonny made that move two years ago with his partner Honey and has traded a successful career as a Psychiatric Nurse in Auckland for a life nurturing the environment in which he grew up.
He wants to get to the stage where his whānau can use their whenua - alongside the work his neighbour Hohiperi Williams is doing on her 220ha farm - as showcases of what is possible and so people can see
how they can turn these farms around by working to protect waterways.
“This is about bringing whānau on board because it is an opportunity we really don’t want to miss out on. We will begin planting natives in 2026, once all the fencing is completed,” says Sonny.
KMR’s Whenua Whānui Fund supports landowners and groups to create sediment reduction projects in the Kaipara Moana catchment. The Fund is aimed at collectives including hapū, marae, kaitiaki groups, landcare groups, catchment groups and trusts administering land with multiple
ownership including ahuwhenua trusts. Through the Whenua Whānui Fund, KMR is now working to support 91 collectively led projects to co-design a project, develop a plan to unlock KMR funding, lead delivery of a project or where projects have been completed.
For more information about how the Whenua Whānui Fund can support your aspirations for the whenua, get in touch with KMR via hono@kmr.org.nz or apply via the website at https://kmr. org.nz/application/
ENDLESS MUSIC.
KMR supports groups to protect and restore the Kaipara Moana
Kaipara Moana Remediation’s Whenua Whānui Fund supports groups to participate in projects that protect the Kaipara Moana
Our projects support people, places, and nature KMR invests in projects to restore wetlands, fence off rivers and streams, plant trees and regenerate forest on erosion-prone land
Our projects:
• Help valued species to thrive
• Restore mahinga kai
• Diversify on-farm income
• Help meet environmental standards
• Increase resilience to storms and extreme weather
The Whenua Whānui Fund is open to all groups including iwi/hapū, marae, landcare groups, catchment groups, kaitiaki, schools and trusts administering land with multple ownership.
The Whenua Whānui Fund offers:
• A Site Visit - a KMR Field Advisor walks the whenua with you to understand your aspirations and sediment reduction options and priorities
• Project Funding – KMR can fund up to 70% of the estimated project works including fencing, site preparation, planting and plant release costs.
• A Sediment Reduction Plan – your Field Advisor prepares a Plan to unlock KMR funding Once a contract is signed, the mahi can begin and a first instalment invoiced and paid
• Community engagement and project management – KMR can assist with some of the costs of running your project
Advice & Support – your Field Advisor can assist you through the project to help the mahi stay on track.
If you are thinking about planting near waterways or on erodible hillsides this winter, get in touch with KMR as soon as possible.
HoneyMurdoch,left,withMateHenare,centre,andSonnyHenare
TE IKA A RANGANUI
In the rolling hills of Kaiwaka next to the Waimako awa, 1825’s echoes of the Battle of Te Ika a Ranganui resonate still, its remembrance marked by both bloodshed and resilience After 200 years on 15 March 2025, under the marama of Rākaumatohi over 1,300 tangata gathered in a ceremony of deep reflection and healing was held to commemorate this paramount event, a moment that now vibrates through time
Ko te onamata o Te Uri o Hau, he apakura i te 300 toa neke atu i riro i Te Ika a Ranganui Ko te inamata, he whakakotahi i a Ngāti Whātua me ngā iwi o Te Tai Tokerau ki te poroporoaki i rātou mā i hinga He reoreo, he apakura, he mōteatea te tangi, kia au nei te moe Kia kōkiri ki mua, kia ua ki ki tua me Pokopoko Whiti-teRā te koke ki anamata
Our past was in grief, for over 300 warriors of Ngāti Whātua were lost at The Battle of Te Ika a Ranganui in 1825 The coming together of all of Ngāti Whātua and the different iwi of Te Tai Tokerau to acknowledge our tūpuna lost 200 years ago happened in our present time Taking on attributes from our tūpuna will propel us to our future A fitting tribute to our past, in our present and looking forward at a future filled with promise, working together to a united Ngāti Whātua
The early mornings ceremony unfolded in four sacred stages: Ka whakaohooho (To Awaken) Ka whakatea (To Mourn) Ka whakawātea (To Clear), and Ka whakaora (To Heal).
Under the thoughtful guidance of curator Te Kurataiaho Kapea, whose wisdom and pukengatanga led the tribe through the process, the ceremony was more than just a remembrance it was a manifestation of strength, unity, and renewal It was a reminder of the past, but also a vow to the future, as each step invited healing and liberation Ngā ringa maha, many hands, worked in harmony to bring the day to life an ancient proverb that resonated deeply as individuals united to honour their ancestors and cultivate collective healing
This day, etched into the hearts of all who attended, marks the beginning of te anamata within the tribe The vibrations of healing were felt not only in the land but in the hearts of the people Liberation has been embraced, and the echoes of that day will continue to guide the tribe towards a future grounded in unity, strength, and the wisdom of those who came before Murupaenga; “E tama mā haere atu rā Pōpō noa ana te koukou, e tāwaia ana e te riroriro ”
ngā karere o te tai tokerau
