Pipiwharauroa

Māori

The phone call from Justice Layne Harvey on the 24th March 2023 was a bolt out of the blue for Tairāwhiti/Rongowhakaata kaumātua Stan Pardoe. Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi offered him an Honorary Doctorate Matauranga Māori for the contribution he had made over many decades to Māori.

I was actually speechless and, for those who know me, I am not often short for words. Layne reassured me I was the right person. To say I was humbled was an understatement, it was a massive whakaaro from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. My relationship with Justice Layne Harvey started back in the late 1990s when Layne was our legal representative supported by Spencer Webster for the Rongowhakaata Treaty claim to the Waitangi Tribunal through Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui ā-Kiwa CEO Willie Te Aho who encouraged our three iwi groups to register. With a committed group, and the backing of Kaumātua, we spent 10 years collating our claim and negotiating with the Crown. I will always be grateful for the support, knowledge and encouragement from Layne on that journey.

My contributions to Te Ao Māori through research and stories have been full of enjoyment, I have relished this part of my life. It has been a privilege to document what I have written, most of which has been handed down to me from my pakeke over many years, especially my grandmother Wairakau Waipara. I have always enjoyed researching and writing that started with the opportunity to publish for the Pakarae Incorporation and for Arai Matawai Incorporation. Following on I wrote my biography Taku Ao, Taku Ora then my latest publication URUPA, stories from five local Urupa within Tūranganui ā-Kiwa.

I attended Te Aute College where I was head prefect and later reconnected with the school through my two sons, LeRoy and Gregg when they enrolled there. I was very involved in the life of the college serving 32 years on the Board, 28 as chairperson. On leaving school I attended technical training with the New Zealand Forest Service based at Whakarewarewa Rotorua before returning home to Manutuke to begin my time as a farming and shearing contractor.

During this period back home my connection to the Tūranga Pariha came about with encouragement from my grandmother Wairakau Waipara. It became a long journey introducing me as the Synod representative to the Waiapū

Diocese, I was still the representative when the Pihopatanga o Aotearoa which was set up as a diocese in its own right.

I was a founding trustee when Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui ā-Kiwa was formed after the devolution of the Māori Affairs Dept. We took on Matua Whangai, Maccess and the Mana programmes. With Māori Fisheries settlement being debated nationally, I was appointed as the fisheries representative for Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui ā-Kiwa. This began a huge learning experience for us and we relished the challenge and opportunities we could see for all three iwi. I was then appointed as Chair of the Rongowhakaata Charitable Trust which I served until the settlement of our Treaty Claims.

Many Māori entities saw those times as the opportunity for the new Rūnanga groups and the Māori Development Trust in Newmarket set up a company called Te Kupenga as a vehicle to expedite this. Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui ā Kiwa had, by then, appointed Willie Te Aho, a young sharp lawyer as our CEO. He encouraged us to buy into this company as it would give us a head start and an understanding as to how a fishing company operated. Te Kupenga became a shareholder in the newly formed Moana Pacific Fisheries which, at that time, was one of bigger inshore fishing companies in New Zealand. With the support of the other iwi shareholders, I was appointed a director on the Moana Pacific Board where I served for 12 years.

The fishing industry held an AGM every year and there was some surprise in that, for the first time, four Māori delegates were representing significant quota ownership. Sir Tipene O Regan, Sir Graham Latimer, Robin Hapi and I were there. I represented Te Ohu Kaimoana for 21 years on the National Rock Lobster Industry Board as advocate for customary fishing and, since 1986, I have served on a number of Māori farming entities including Arai Mātāwai Incorporation, Mangaotane Trust, Pohaturoa Trust, Pakarae Incorporation, Tapere 2C2 Incorporation, Te Aute Trust Board Farms and Whāngārā Farms Board.

I have been a JP since 2001 and I am an active member of the Tairāwhiti Branch of Historic NZ, originally known as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. I really enjoy being part of this wonderful group of people who continue to seek and preserve our collective histories and share our stories for all people in our region to connect with and enjoy.

For attending my graduation at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi I would like to thank Ron Nepe, Morehu Pewhairangi, Taharakau Stewart and his wife who represented Rongowhakaata, my wife Molly of 60 years for always being beside me through thick and thin, my daughter Kiri who had one week to organise our travel and accommodation for all our whānau and being there with her son Kupa making a four generation attendance for me. Then there are my two sisters, Wai (Bloss) and Meri who travelled from Australia without letting us know, a wonderful surprise, our daughter Justine and eldest mokopuna Apiata from Wellington, Brother Ivan (Blackie) Jnr and his son LeRoy Jnr, our youngest son Gregg and his daughter Mandy from Tauranga and his son Apiata Jnr.

It was all very memorable for me personally. Our whānau agreed the graduation was a very special occasion and to be together for a happy event and we acknowledge the amazing hospitality which was exemplary from the whānau of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. It was a pleasure to share the day with two other outstanding contributors to Māoridom who also received Honorary Doctorates, Dame Tariana Turia and Te Riaki Amoamo.

I would also like to say what an honour it was to share the day with Deputy Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court Caren Fox who was there to receive her Doctorate.