Papatipu Rūnanga
Rāpaki A Ngāi Tahu individual stands within their whānau. That whānau lives within a clan, or groups of whānau known as a hapū. Collectively, in its simplest form, the various hapū come together and unite as an iwi or a tribe. Overlaid on this paradigm is the Papatipu Rūnanga structure. In the case of Ngāi Tahu, 18 regional Papatipu Rūnanga exist to uphold the mana of their people over the land, the sea and the natural resources. Spread throughout Te Waipounamu each of the 18 rūnanga appoints a tribal member to represent its interests at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the governing council overseeing the tribe’s activities.
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Those people that live and participate within the rūnanga community take on the responsibility of keeping the home fires burning. They are part of the continuum that is Ngāi Tahu, they maintain the marae, greet and look after the visitors, bury the dead, help to raise the next generations and keep alive the traditions and stories of their culture. Each rūnanga has its own governance structure and it is through this mechanism that the collective Ngāi Tahu voice in the region is represented and heard at local government and community level.
No rūnanga is the same, each has opportunities and challenges shaped by the land, the environment, the towns and cities and the people that make the region home. The rūnanga is the face of Ngāi Tahu at regional level, wanting better education for their children, safer communities and less pollution at the beach. Te Rūnanga was created to manage the collective assets of the tribe and in doing so support rūnanga in a way that allows each of them to exercise rangatiratanga – to determine their own destiny so they can build and sustain their communities as they have done so successfully for generations.
Ko Te Poho o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua te mauka, ko Whakaraupō te moana, ko Takitimu, ko Uruao, ko Makawhiu kā waka, ko Te Raki Whakaputa te takata, ko Kāi Tahu te iwi, ko Kāti Wheke te hapū, ko Wheke te whare tipuna, ko Rāpaki te marae. Tīhei mauri ora. The small settlement of Rāpaki sits on the shores of Whakaraupō (Lyttelton Harbour) under the gaze of the mountain Te Poho o Tamatea (the breast of Tamatea). For generations Ngāi Tahu have lived and died on this fertile land. The chief Te Rakiwhakaputa laid down his rāpaki (waist mat) and claimed the land for his people. Having secured Rāpaki as Ngāi Tahu territory
he moved on to claim other lands and left his son Wheke to establish the settlement. Today Rāpaki is home to Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, one of four Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga (marae-based communities) situated on the Banks Peninsula. The families that live there are mostly Ngāi Tahu and they continue the tradition of upholding the mana of their hapū and keeping the home fires burning.
The rūnanga has recently built a new wharenui (meeting house) named Wheke which records the hapū and iwi history and traditions through ornate carvings and woven tukutuku panels. The marae is the heart of the Rāpaki community and the people and their stories remain the heart of the marae.
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