Te Hookioi Issue 52 - Special Edition

Kia tupu he iwi whai hua, whai ora, whai tikanga, taakiri ngaakau, taakiri hinengaro

To grow a prosperous, healthy, vibrant, innovative and culturally strong iwi

I riro whenua atu me hoki whenua mai The following koorero was prepared by the late Sir Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta to commemorate the signing of the Deed of Settlement for the Waikato Raupatu Claim in 1995. His koorero encapsulates the emotion, memory and history behind a cause that strengthened and enhanced Waikato-Tainui iwi, hapuu, marae and tangata.

The dust is about to settle. The vision emerges. On this day history is with us.

The first government offer to settle was made on 30 May, 1869 – 126 years ago. In it, the Government recognised that what Tainui wanted was: • Recognition of the King • Return of the land • A pardon or apology • All hostilities to cease Today, we celebrate at last, the attainment of what our people desired.

Te Ata signed today as Ariki of Waikato and Tainui. The peace declared by Tawhiao

at Pirongia in 1881, is reaffirmed. A new relationship with the Crown is being forged.

Apology will be made. Land is returned.

The hearts of the people are full of joy and relief. Satisfaction flows as deep and as meaningful as our river. Today as history unfolds and envelopes us, so too does the land.

As we lift our gaze to the Hakarimata we see the riches of the Raupatu lands as they lie around us. Most of it has gone now, into other hands. These lands have become the gift which Waikato has made to this nation and its development. From Pirongia, Kakepuku, Maungatautari, and especially Taupiri we see again, the lands from the settlement, once more in Waikato hands.

As the Waikato River winds through our territory we remember how it has personified the unity, the strength and the power of our people. We pledge ourselves to further negotiate its return to us, with the dignity, the forbearance and the understanding which this current land settlement signifies.

Today, those who struggle towards this end are still with us – Te Uira, Henare, Te Whiti, Tawhi, Hori, Pumi, Pei, Te Puea herself and Tumate. Crowded behind them are all those who went before. We are their descendants.

We inherited their dedication and resolve.

They stand behind us; they are our strength.

We look around us and see all those humble or mighty who have carried us to this day.

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Those who typed and faxed, those who cooked us meals, and helped us work late so often, into so many nights. The politicians and professionals, and the people who are just people. They stand alongside and around me as I speak.

Especially, we have been sustained by the old people, our kaumaatua and kuia, whose loyalty never wavered. They rode the train to Waitangi and to Wellington, came to hearings and sat through long and tedious meetings with enormous patience. Their faith has been a constant reminder of the seed sown at Rangiatea which was never lost.

Our own team know what they have done and no thanks from me is necessary. What they have been part of will always endure.

Those stories they will teach their children and their children’s children. The flourishing of Waikato again will be their thanks and their return. This is the heritage of the struggle.

On this day I look to the young people of the tribe. May they turn now to face the future they deserve and will enjoy. It is for them and

the generations not yet born, that we have worked so hard and long.

Finally, let me return to 1869, to the words of my tupuna. He told the people to leave behind animosity, hatred and hostility. He said that the left hand should be to the left and the right to the right. They asked what this saying signified. His full reply is not recorded.

Some say that he meant Maaori and Pakeha should live side by side, as the two hands of the one body. Others say that he was speaking of the restoration or orderliness to the disrupted lives of Waikato. Yes, and I can believe this was the message for us all, to obey the rule of Pakeha law, and of tribal lore, at the same time. Some say he was calling to those who remained loyal to stay with the right way and let those who deviate depart. They will be left behind.

I believe that what Tawhiao meant, was Waikato again should set its house in order by recognising leadership, the proper disposition of tasks and responsibilities, and a defined future. Tainui were then and remain people of destiny. Tainui are a people

of vision, a people for whom a future has been designed. As the Scriptures tell us ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’.

Now we have the means as well as the will to realise these dreams. It is time again to call our artisans and our craftsfolk, the shoemakers and the carpenters of Tawhiao’s day. Now it is the computer analysts, the resource managers, the women and men who must organise, and lead us, with all the wisdom of the past.

These thoughts are with us today. The shape of what we have done was forged back then. Government is seeking to reduce the chaos it had created; Waikato is seeking again to live in peaceful partnership with its neighbours and according to its historic rules.

We greet you again, as to a new day. The world is changing, and it is we who have changed it.

Kua hora te marino Kua whakapapa pounamu te moana Kua tere te karohirohi Paimarire!

Source: Kia Hiwa Ra, Issue 31.

Sir Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta and Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu with Rt Hon. Jim Bolger and Sir Douglas Graham at Turongo, May 1995 te hookioi

22 May 1995 Deed of Settlement Signed

68 marae 33 hapuu

Koro Wetere at Te Kuiti Marae.

FOR PEOPLE, MARAE, HAPUU AND IWI The Hon. Koro Wetere has devoted his life to advance the needs and aspirations of our people.

He served as a Member of Parliament for 27 years with six years spent as Minister of Maaori Affairs and during this time remained at the forefront of tribal matters.

K

oro’s journey began more than 50 years ago when the old people of Ngaati Maniapoto appointed him farm manager of the Mangaora block, located just out of Kawhia.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, Koro’s appointment set him on a path that would lead him to play a prominent role in tribal affairs and have a successful career in politics.

“It began a lifestyle which meant managing that place, but also becoming involved in the Kiingitanga,” says Koro. “All of our old people are Kingites anyway. They were people from Pai Marire and all those things, they are the backbone and history of the movement, and so that involvement took me right into it and really since then I’ve never worked for anybody else, but our people.”

His devotion to the people steered him towards politics and in 1969 he was elected the Labour MP for the Western

“The tireless efforts of our old people laid the basis for us to develop beyond where we were at and we’ve certainly gone streaks ahead of the board” Maaori electorate, a seat he held until his retirement in 1996. Among his political achievements include being a member of successive parliaments that established the Waitangi Tribunal, extended its remit so it could hear claims back to 1840, and expanded its resources so it could process more claims, more quickly.

Although, Waikato-Tainui settled their raupatu claim by direct negotiations, these achievements enabled us and other iwi to resolve their grievances with the Crown”.

To see and be a part of all those changes taking place and to have been able to assist our people to make further changes and add value to all those things was a privilege,” says Koro.

However, his contribution to the iwi didn’t stop at politics. Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu appointed him Chair of the Tekaumaarua as well as the interim committee for the Te Kauhanganui until it was dissolved and transferred to the tribe’s current governing body. He then served ten years as director of Tainui Group Holdings, retiring in 2012.

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During his time as director, Koro was instrumental in ensuring our investments provided a return that would contribute to advancing the needs and aspirations of our people. This required a steady and thoughtful accumulation of assets which, today, has resulted in the tribe’s asset portfolio being worth more than $1 billion.

“The tireless efforts of our old people laid the basis for us to develop beyond where we were at and we’ve certainly gone streaks ahead of the board,” says Koro. “Now we’ve got to be innovative in how we direct our business. I think that our organisation now has to look at the people it brings through into the future to help guide us, to help develop us to where we want to go.”

Education, Koro says, will play a major role in our future. “We’re now seeing a lot of our young ones coming back and that’s probably the most heartening feature about the whole

thing. They’re able to go to university and now we can say here, these are the positions we are looking for that’s going to help drive this machine and you people who have got these following qualifications can help us do that.”

He says transition is probably one of the most important things that we should be looking at today. “Hinga ana te teeteekura, ara mai ana te teeteekura. Ko eeraa tikanga ki a au nei, he tikanga mai raano i o taatou maatua. Ehara i te mea hou, engari he kupu.

He taonga te kupu naa raatou anoo i hanga me te moohio naa te whaanui raa o teeraa kupu ka ora ai ngaa tikanga, ka ora ai ngaa kaupapa mai anoo i ngaa tau.”

But an immediate concern for Koro remains our people and trying to raise their standards of living by looking more closely at education, health, housing, and so on. “I’m an optimist; I’ve got faith in our

young people. The best thing about this is seeing them coming forward and positioning themselves to make those improvements.

They’ll add value and help us achieve our goals.”

On his life’s journey, Koro says, “For that period of time, for me, it was an exciting time. It wasn’t easy, it was difficult at times, but when I look back just at ourselves and trying to bring each of those past things together to get us to where we’re at was a hell of an achievement in itself. We did it to advance the cause of those who died for us and it was a privilege to be able to do that.

“It has been a privilege to represent our people over three of our ariki. Mai Koroki ki Te Ata, aa, ki too taatou nei Kiingi i teenei raa. It’ll always be a privilege for me and is something I will never forget, ever in my life.

It was a pleasure to serve and to help get us to where we’re at, and I look forward to the future.”

“We’re now seeing a lot of our young ones coming back and that’s probably the most heartening feature about the whole thing”

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Koro Wetere with Sir Douglas Graham and the Rt Hon. Jim Bolger at the signing of the Waikato-Tainui Deed of Settlement at Turangawaewae Marae, May 1995

IT’S ALL SERENDIPITY John Te Maru’s involvement with Waikato-Tainui goes back a long way, but he describes this involvement as more serendipitous than intentional.

B

orn and raised in the heartland of Ngaati Hauaa, John’s upbringing was no different to any other Maaori kid living on a farm. He swam in the creek, played outside until it was dark, did his chores and went to school at Ngaati Hauaa Maaori School – a popular school for kids from Tauwhare Paa. “When I started in the early 1960s the school only went up to Form 2 and so by the time kids got to Form 1 and 2 they were 16 and 17 years old,” says John, who went on to the University of Waikato to study science.

“While at Waikato I joined the army and my gun sergeant turned out to be Tutu Ormsby,” says John. “As I was coming to the end of my degree I was looking for a job and so he says to me, you should go and see Bob Mahuta.

At the time I didn’t know it was his brother and because their names were different I didn’t think anything of it.”

Doing what he was told, John got in touch.

“It took me about four months to get an appointment to see this fella Bob Mahuta and I was ready to give up. That was at the

“The expectation to achieve what was right for us at that time, but also for our future generations, comes with a bit of weight” end of 1983,” says John. “Finally, I get a call from the Centre of Maaori Studies Research saying Mr Mahuta would like to see me on Friday morning.

“So I turn up there,” explains John. “And go into his office and it’s plush – it’s got a couch, a beer fridge, and it’s even got a television. I was like whoa, I’ve never seen this before. So I look around and he’s sitting there with all these papers on his desk, a pair of scissors, a highlighter and he’s going

through his in-tray and I’m sitting there, waiting and without looking up, all he said to me was ‘talk’.

“He didn’t even say what I should talk about, but I must’ve rambled on about something until he said that was enough. And then he goes to me, ‘right, can you start on Monday?

9 o’clock don’t be late’ and that was it, that was my interview,” says John.

His job was to be a research assistant for the staff of the Centre which meant his days were filled of photocopying, making cups of teas and making sure everything was tidy.

“My job was pretty much to do whatever it was I was told to do, but I didn’t care what it was; I was just pleased to get a job at the university and to get a toe in the door.”

After a while, John then went on to become Board Secretary for the Tainui Maaori Trust Board. “It was all serendipity you see,” says

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John. “The reason I became Board Secretary was because the secretary at the time was Wii Taka and unfortunately he got sick and he wanted someone to come in and help give him a hand so the Trust Board contracted the Centre.”

This request required John to spend a couple of days every week helping Wii Taka.

“It was only meant to be for a short time, but it ended up being two years. By then Wii Taka had got really ill, so when he passed away the Trust Board asked me if I could act as Board Secretary, but under the act you can’t just be Acting Board Secretary, you have to be Board Secretary. So that’s how that came about.”

John says during this time things were starting to heat up and a lot was going on towards progressing the Waikato-Tainui raupatu claim. “There were separate teams for separate things and work was getting

done for all these different initiatives and projects.”

He describes this time as exciting, but often fraught with pressure-charged moments.

“The expectation to achieve what was right for us at that time, but also for our future generations, comes with a bit of weight,” says John. “But it was so exciting. There was so much happening and so much to do.

“We often worked long hours which took its toll after a while, impacting on whaanau and your personal life, but at that time we were running on adrenaline. It felt like we were doing something good, or rather for the good, so you just had to keep going even though it might’ve hurt.”

All the long hours, hard work and dedication put in from John and many others played a vital role in the tribe making history when it became the first iwi to sign its Deed of

Settlement. The settlement, worth $170 million, set the foundations for the tribe to establish itself and contribute to the advancement our people.

John says, “We’ve achieved many things since then. The Waikato River settlement, the establishment of the College, the different entities the tribe has now, but also seeing more of our people succeeding in education and our marae having more money to do up and maintain their facilities – these things were a lot harder before.”

Looking ahead, John says, “We need to look after our land and all the things on it, like the environment, our taonga tuku iho, especially the waterways. Before, getting our land back is what drove everything. It was always for the land and our waterways.

I don’t think you can go too far wrong by sticking to that. It’s got us this far, if it wasn’t for that belief and drive, we wouldn’t have what we’ve got now. Land is an asset that is sustainable for the tribe and our future.”

“Getting our land back is what drove everything.

It was always for the land and our waterways”

John Te Maru with Sir Robert Mahuta at the signing of the Waikato-Tainui Deed of Settlement at Turangawaewae Marae, May 1995 te hookioi

Tribal Memebership

66,779

of our iwi are 40 years or younger

40,067

of our people liVe within the tainui waka rohe

Moera Solomon receiving her Queen’s Service Medal from Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae.

TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE Moera Solomon, of Ngaati Wairere, has devoted more than 20 years to our tribal organisation and has seen many changes and experienced some ups and downs, but one thing’s for certain; Waikato-Tainui has come leaps and bounds since signing its Deed of Settlement in 1995.

“I

nitially it was like a nail in your coffin to be Tainui, but now just look at it, we’re more an on even keel with the councils and the big companies like Fonterra,” says Moera.

“We’ve become a major player that won’t be left out.”

something greater. If this is the only way I can add my thruppence worth for our people then I am absolutely happy and privileged to do so.”

“We were always told to work for the movement. It’s not that we had it engrained in us, but our old people led by example”

However, this is a far cry from when Moera first started with the tribal organisation. “Back then we were based out at the old air force base in Te Rapa, which is now The Base, and working in a hangar,” says Moera, who’s now one of Waikato-Tainui’s longest serving employees. “I was brought in to help put together a list of Tainui descendants which was required by the government three years before our settlement.”

Her devotion can be credited to her parents and our kaumaatua. “We were always told to work for the movement. It’s not that we had it engrained in us, but our old people led by example. When you see them doing what they do, without question, it’s humbling.”

Since then, her role in building and maintaining the tribe’s register has remained the same and so too has her love for the job. “Before the tribe, I worked in a lot of different places and in a lot of different scenarios and probably better conditions and better pay or what have you, but this is more self-satisfying because I am doing it for my people,” says Moera.

Just like the people she speaks about, Moera is regarded as a key figure in the Ngaaruawaahia community. She is currently serving her fourth term on the Waikato District Council, is a member of the local community board and business association, and is also a life member of the Turangawaewae Rugby League Club.

“My main motivation has always been for the people and hopefully what I’m doing is contributing to

And if that wasn’t enough, she has also raised 14 children, “Six of my own, a couple of state wards and

some grandchildren, two of which are staying with me now,” she says.

So with all that under her belt it comes as no surprise that in 2011 Moera was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in recognition of her services to Maaori and the community. “To be honest, the award was very humbling because I feel that I just do what any other people do – helping others.”

Looking ahead, Moera says, “It’s quite simple really, and that’s how it should be. At the end of the day Tainui is a waka. If we all paddle in time, some say direction, then we will go places. Over the past 20 years, as a people we have had to navigate the uncharted and sometimes perilous waters of postsettlement development. In doing so, like our tupuna we have weathered many a storm and reached many a horizon.

“It has been a humbling experience to be part of the original crew and to be able to contribute today no matter how great or small to the legacy of our tupuna and the posterity of our mokopuna.”

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Unlikely reunion recognises legacy When Rewiri Waaka shook hands with Rt Hon. Jim Bolger in late October, it was more significant than simply a first-year student meeting the Chancellor of the University of Waikato.

T

he pair had met before and Rewiri has photographic evidence. Twenty years ago in Wellington, Mr Bolger was Prime Minister of New Zealand and Rewiri was an eight week old baby.

Their initial meeting took place at Parliament, where Rewiri’s mother Claudine Waitere had travelled to hear the historic 1995 Waikato Raupatu Settlement passed into law.

“I was the Motakotako Marae rep so I got to go down on the train,” says Claudine.

“We left Frankton about 11pm and got there about 5am. He (Rewiri) lay on a pillow in my lap. There was lots of singing along the way, lots of guitars.”

She says the group walked to Parliament and it was there a photographer asked if he could take a photo of the young mother and her small baby with the Prime Minister. That photo and accompanying story made the

newspapers and the image hung on the wall of Rewiri’s bedroom as he grew up.

decades ago. “It was my dream and now it’s come true,” she says.

Claudine says Rewiri is the living embodiment of her hopes from two decades ago

Claudine, Head of Maaori at Te Puke High School, says it is “fantastic” that education had become such a focus of the postsettlement era. “That was always the vision and it is a great legacy,” she says.

“In the article at the time I was asked ‘how would the settlement help my son’ and my reply was that it would help him through an educational grant, and 20 years later this has come true as he was the recipient of a Waikato-Tainui Education grant,” Claudine says.

For Waikato-Tainui, it was about a relationship with the Crown, rather than any monetary considerations, she says.

“In 20 years’ time we will still have that relationship.”

Rewiri is now at the University of Waikato, where he is enrolled in the first year of a BA on the total immersion Te Tohu Paetahi programme.

Rewiri, the formerly head boy at Te Puke High, says it is a privilege to be a part of history, even if he remembers nothing of his first trip to the Capital. “That photo has been hanging on my wall for years so I know the significance of it,” he says.

With the Raupatu Settlement approaching its 20th anniversary, Claudine says Rewiri is the living embodiment of her hopes from two

Mr Bolger says it was tremendous to see Waikato-Tainui members such as Rewiri benefitting from Treaty settlements.

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Claudine Waitere with her son Rewiri Waaka and former Prime Minister Rt Hon. Jim Bolger.

Ko koe, ko au ko taatou

Whakatupuranga

2050

Jaymee Cleave is a graduate accountant for Tainui Group Holdings

TRIBE’S SUCCESS OFFERS MORE OPPORTUNITY Jaymee Cleave is proud to work for her iwi and sees a lot of opportunities for rangatahi arising from the tribe’s on-going success.

J

aymee, of Ngaati Apakura descent, is a graduate accountant with Tainui Group Holdings (TGH), the commercial arm of Waikato-Tainui. In her role she’s learning plenty about the financial sector and is grateful for the support she’s received from the organisation to help kick-start her career.

“The TGH graduate programme has allowed me to further develop my knowledge and understanding of accountancy and with their support I’m now working towards becoming a Chartered Accountant,” says Jaymee, who holds Bachelor of Business Analysis degree from the University of Waikato.

Being a part of TGH and the Waikato-Tainui organisation has helped me to learn more about the history and culture of the tribe and to see its importance in supporting the tribe on its path to further success.”

“The best way to support rangatahi is through providing better education, more job and mentoring opportunities and an environment that supports the dissemination of tribal knowledge”

Open to university graduates of Waikato-Tainui descent, the TGH graduate programme aims to further develop the education, knowledge and skills of recruits through a two-year work placement with the organisation. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to work for my people while being able to gain experience in a competitive industry,” says Jaymee.

Waikato-Tainui has come a long way since its settlement and the work that’s being done today will be a huge benefit to our current and future generations, explains Jaymee, but it’s time for the tribe to be clear about its priorities. “Balancing the needs of current generations with future generations is difficult, but that’s why it’s important to have a clear strategy and goals in place.”

“I didn’t grow up with a strong cultural background, but I still wanted to help the tribe grow and succeed.

Jaymee says to progress further the tribe needs to respond to the needs of rangatahi by supporting them

to develop their skills and capabilities. “The best way to support rangatahi is through providing better education, more job and mentoring opportunities and an environment that supports the dissemination of tribal knowledge.

“At the same time rangatahi need to position themselves and learn as much as they can about the new trends and ideas coming through in order to place the tribe in a competitive position in the future,” says Jaymee. “This approach would see more knowledgeable and capable people coming through to carry the tribe forward and help ensure its continued success for future generations.”

For now though, Jaymee is looking forward to fulfilling her career in accounting and remains grateful to being a part of the work Waikato-Tainui is doing now.

“The work being done by TGH and the other entities of Waikato-Tainui are all contributing to advancing the needs and aspirations of our people, and that’s awesome to be a part of.”

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PEOPLE ARE OUR REAL ASSETS It’s great the tribe is growing its asset base, but more investment should be made into our people because they are our real assets, says Pua Moe Awa Phillips, of Ngaati Tipa.

P

ua is currently working with the Whai Manawa Marae Cluster to implement their innovative quit smoking programme – Whakawaatea te Haa. Admired by the whaanau she works with on a daily basis, she says the tribe needs to invest in projects such as hauora so our whaanau can be supported in leading healthier lives.

“Sport is a natural starting point,” says Pua, a New Zealand women’s touch team representative and also current captain of the Waikato Open Women’s Touch Team. “Sport requires discipline and commitment, and also encourages manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kotahitanga which are all important qualities to have.

“What I love about Whakawaatea te Haa is that it’s a programme driven from the grassroots level and aims to empower our people to reclaim their health and wellbeing by involving all the whaanau, tamariki, rangatahi, pakeke, kaumaatua and ruruhi.”

“Whaanau are the backbone of our iwi so by strengthening our whaanau, we also strengthen our people”

The mum of three says, “The health and wellbeing of our whaanau, from our peepi to our kaumaatua, is critical to the survival of our people. Whaanau are the backbone of our iwi so by strengthening our whaanau, we also strengthen our people.”

Pua, who has a passion for sport and exercise, believes the iwi needs to create an environment which encourages whaanau, particularly rangatahi, to participate in activities that keep them engaged with the tribe.

“If rangatahi are involved in sporting events, this is also an opportunity for our kaumaatua to come in and guide these young people and help shape them for future cultural and professional leadership roles.

In turn, this will give our rangatahi the confidence to participate and evolve as a positive contributing tribal member.”

She says, “Developing a sporting academy, not just for elite sports people, but for any and all our rangatahi would add huge value to their lives. We are naturally competitive and thrive in a team environment, and so

with good mentoring and support, a programme such as this could have the same positive impact as our programme, Whakawaatea te Haa.” In her job, Pua uses her sporting experience to develop activities that encourage her tauira to replace smoking with physical activities. “My father has been smoking for 43 years. He has asthma and the onset of emphysema, but through this programme and its physical activities, he has managed to turn his health around and no longer requires his medication.

He uses kai and exercise to manage his mauiui and I am so proud of him and the barriers that he has overcome.”

On the tribe and its future, Pua says, “From seeing the positive changes my father has made in his life, my aspiration for the tribe is to see all our whaanau become smoke free and leading strong and healthier lives, not only aa-tiinana, but also aa-wairua and aa-hinengaro too. And since Waikato-Tainui has reached its settlement with the Crown it is in a better position to help support our whaanau to achieve this as it can invest further in people-focussed initiatives.”

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Pua Phillips is passionate about sport and exercise, and believes the tribe should invest in more hauora initiatives

Hinga ana te teeteekura, ara mai ana te teeteekura

issue 52 | 2014 | HE PAANUITANGA WAIKATO-TAINUI | ISSN 2382-0578