ISSUE SEVENTY SEVEN: WHITU TEKAU MĀ WHITU MARCH 2025
Retirement and Farewell After nearly two decades of service, Matua Nelson Rangitakaiwaho has stepped down from his role as kaumātua to Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Iwi Authority, having retired as its chairperson five years earlier.
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Friends, whānau and colleagues celebrated Nelson’s contribution at a private function prior to Christmas, providing an opportunity to acknowledge “a powerhouse”, Melissa Ihaka, Kahungunu ki Wairarapa’s deputy chairperson, said.
“He is one of the original five signing trustees of Kahungunu ki Wairarapa in its current capacity,” Ihaka explained. “He’s helped navigate so much. “Matua Nelson has this calmness, and his brain is one of the sharpest brains that I’ve ever encountered,” she said. “He works in such a way that takes the emotion out of discussions, so it is instead people-focused. And we’ve had some really hard discussions over the years.” Nelson was born in south Wairarapa, descended from both the European founder of Masterton, Joseph Masters, and Retimana Te Korou, one of the chief negotiators in the land negotiations between pākehā settlers and Wairarapa mana whenua in the mid-1800s. His great-grandfather was Hoani Rangitakaiwaho, the last paramount chief from Papawai. Listening to Nelson recount his industrious, multifaceted and fascinating life, it was easy to conclude that the inventive and entrepreneurial spirit of Masters and Te Korou runs deep in his veins.
Nelson Francis Rangitakaiwaho
He grew up as an only child, and although he was late starting school, “it wasn’t a problem”, Nelson said. “I was fortunate I was a fast learner,” as well as being a self-sufficient self-starter. “I was never lonely, I would saddle up my horse and away I’d go.” At the age of 19, Nelson “worked like hell” and saved up enough to start his own heavy haulage firm, later adding bulldozers and other earthmoving equipment to his business.
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March 2025