MIHI
Ka nui te mihi nui ki ngā uri whakaheke o ngā hekenga nō mua. Nau mai haere mai ki Koekoeā. Wakatū Incorporation, based in Whakatū (Nelson), is
Tēnei te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa. Kei ngā uri o ngā hekenga nui, nei rā te mihi matakuikui, te mihi matakorokoro ki a tātou katoa.
owned by the whānau and hapū of Whakatū, Motueka
Welcome to our first issue of Koekoeā, the new
and Mōhua.
magazine for Wakatū Incorporation.
Our history in Te Tauihu o te waka a Māui dates from
The koekoeā is the long-tailed cuckoo, and our
the early 1800s and the time of the hekenga, the great
magazine title takes its inspiration from birds as a
migration from the west coast of the North Island.
metaphor for communication – colloquially, ‘koekoeā’
Our families have had a long history in this region as
can mean to chatter.
fishers, gardeners, traders and entrepreneurs, and we’re proud to continue this legacy. As one of the largest land owners and employers in Te Tauihu, we’re committed to the development
Koekoeā were known for their powers of long flight, their intelligence and, in some legends, the birds were used as messengers. Our Koekoeā magazine will be focused on our people
and wellbeing of our Owners, our families and our
and places, our legacy and the work and activities of
wider community. We are proud to contribute to the
Wakatū. We are proud to share our stories with you,
social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of our
to strengthen our connections with one another and
vibrant region.
to help bring us closer as a family and community.
Koekoeā is an opportunity to share our stories,
We love to celebrate the success of our Wakatū
from our kaumātua Rore and Lynne Stafford and
whānau whānui with our whānau and community
the early days of the Incorporation through to Portia
and we hope you enjoy the stories shared in this first
Barcello, a scholarship recipient with her own bright
issue of Koekoeā. We’d love to hear what you think and
future. We hope you enjoy reading about our whānau
welcome any ideas you have for future stories. You can
and the work of Wakatū.
email us at hono@wakatu.org
Otirā, tēnā tātou katoa.
Mauri ora,
Paora Te Poa Karoro Morgan
Kerensa Johnston
Chair, Wakatū Incorporation
CEO, Wakatū Incorporation
