Te Ripoata o te Manahautū

I extend my thanks to the staff of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa who have remained unwavering in their commitment to the Iwi. Thank you for all that you have and will continue to do.

Tēnā koutou This is my last annual report as Manahautū Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa. Together over the past five years, we have faced some significant events in the history of Ngāti Awa – 2017 floods, 2019 eruption of Whakaari and beginning in 2020 up to today, COVID-19. Our collective approach with manaakitanga and aroha ki te tangata ensured that residents in our rohe, our manuhiri and the most vulnerable of our Iwi were cared for in times of extreme uncertainty. We have and continue to participate in multiple legal matters including our opposition to the Creswell (Nongfu) water bottling consent, and Marine and Coastal Title applications by other Iwi, and advocating for the protection of our taiao. We have also protected our borders and engaged with other Iwi and the Crown on proposed Tiriti o Waitangi settlements for those Iwi. These types of challenges will continue to test our unity, our resolve and our kaitiakitanga. Together we can protect our taonga, nurture our turangawaewae, and create an environment where Ngāti Awa is flourishing. We must be vigilant, and unified to preserve and enhance our taonga tuku iho.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, we started and implemented workforce programmes with Korehāhā Whakahau, and Marae renovations for twelve (12) marae. All together we have employed 59 people across these two programmes, and 45 are of Ngāti Awa descent. We have spent $597,619.16 with Ngāti Awa businesses as well.

All of these programmes meet at least four outcomes – perpetuation of our identity language and culture as Ngāti Awa, active kaitiakitanga, creating employment and a highly skilled work force. The ability for Ngāti Awa people to live and work within our rohe is achievable, with leadership and working with likeminded partners we can create the future we aspire to – Ngāti Awa people, living with and caring for our taonga for future generations. I extend my thanks to the staff of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa who have remained unwavering in their commitment to the Iwi. Thank you for all that you have and will continue to do. I am grateful to have been mentored by kaumātua within Ngāti Awa, and thank you for your time and knowledge. I also would like to thank the descendants of Ngāti Awa who have over the past five years exhausted their efforts to support, lead and represent Ngāti Awa.

Lastly, to the various governors of the Ngāti Awa Group, together with the descendants of Ngāti Awa, we have the ability to realise a positive future based on our tikanga, kawa, and our taonga tuku iho. Our future can be as bright as we decide it will be, and I look forward to seeing the next evolution of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and it’s subsidiaries to realise our Iwi vision – Ko Ngāti Awa te toki, tē tangatanga i te rā, tē ngohengohe i te wai.

LEONIE SIMPSON Manahautū, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa