TE KOTAHITANGA O TE IWI O NGATI WEHIWEHI

HUI-A-TAU : MARAE COMMITTEE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

WEHIWEHI PA, MANAKAU, HOROWHENUA

TUESDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2000, 7.30 PM

 

TUMUAKI/CHAIRPERSON REPORT

 

Tuatahi, he mihi tonu ano ki Te Kaihanga o Nga Mea Katoa, tena koe!

Tuarua, he whakaaro mau mahara tenei ki nga mate katoa, haere koutou!

Tuatoru, he hongi ano ki nga kanohi ora, tena tatou katoa!

Tuawha, he mihi nui ki nga ahuatanga o te wa nei! Tu ora mai ra!

Tuarima, tena koutou katoa e te whanau whanui o Ngati Wehiwehi. Kia ora nga mokopuna o Wehiwehi raua ko Patiharuru hoki!

 

Kia ora ano, greetings and salutations! As I review the period that has elapsed since the last marae AGM held on 7 December 1999, I wish to acknowledge the passing on of many of our loved ones. Two recent mate in particular, have included our beloved kaumatua rangatira, Wally (Kohatu) Taane, and Stan (Snr) Orzecki. Wally has been a principal speaker on our paepae for many years, and gained wide respect throughout our region as a top native speaker and teacher of te reo Maori and tikanga. Haere e te totaranui e Wally, haere! Our blessings and aroha to Annie and whanau.

Stanislaw (Stan or Mike) Orzecki is the Polish husband of Margaret (nee Gardiner) Orzecki and father of our treasurer, Ryszard Orzecki, Stanley (Jnr), Monica, Emiliia, Ray and Andre and many mokopuna.  Margaret is the sister of Aunty May Cook, and she passed away five years ago, shortly after the burning down of Rangiatea. Stan’s body was tragically discovered on the day of our recent gala, Saturday 14 October. Haere e koro, haere. Our blessings and aroha to Ryszard, Stan and whanau.

 

Once again, I need to acknowledge the inspiration and support of our kuia and kaumatua and the tireless and hard work efforts of our whanau members, whether the work is concerned with marae committee obligations, hui or other mahi such as work on the various committees and companies of Te Runanga o Raukawa, Te Wananga o Raukawa, Raukawa Marae Trustees and Raukawa Marae District Council. The very existence and mana of the marae is heavily dependent on the voluntary work of whanau both within the marae and to the farest reaches of the rohe!

 

Some of the initiatives or events that have taken place since the last AGM have included :

 

• Formation of the Te Kotahitanga o Te Iwi o Ngati Wehiwehi Trust as a vehicle to progress the social and economic development objectives of our iwi;
• Successful fundraising ventures including our annual gala ($3,272 profit in 1999), and other initiatives such as Pub Charity through the Key West Tavern, Levin. Also a grant of $1,100 was received from Raukawa District Maori Council for cutlery/crockery replacements;
• A joint initiative between Ngati Kauwhata, Ngati Tukorehe, Ngati Kapumanawhiti and Ngati Wehiwehi, to produce a special edition millennium calendar;

 

• Significant re-tiling of our kitchen floor and sandering of our dining room floor;
• Investigations into Ngati Wehiwehi undertaking a Marae Based Studies programme for Te Wananga o Raukawa – this may be reconsidered next year;
• Successful growth in the roll of tamariki to our resident Te Kotahitanga Kohanga Reo, and installation of a choice playground, financed by a grant from the local Manakau Medieval Market committee;
• Transportation by our kaumatua of our sacred mauri to a new resting place and subsequent hui with whanau;
• Maori language classes for beginners by Riro Paki, utilising the rakau ataarangi method – unfortunately classes were ceased when support fell away;
• Development of a web home page for Ngati Wehiwehi by computer wizard, Ryszard;
• Cost effective purchases of totara slabs for storage for potential future marae development projects (eg carved gateway);
• Public hosting by Ngati Wehiwehi, on 12 October 2000, of a hui, to hear proposals by land owners to develop a new subdivision, comprising sixty sections, in the Manakau Township – over 70 people from the local community attended this meeting.

 

I apologise if I have missed out any other events of significance to marae whanau.

 

As we move closer towards the year 2001, my wishes for the marae are that we :

 

• Establish more regular income earning opportunities;

 

• Establish a comprehensive development plan for the whole pa – starting with the front access-way because of safety concerns;

 

• Pilot Marae Based Studies on the marae;

 

• Run more wananga (eg whakapapa, whanaungatanga etc) for our whanau whanui;

 

• Strongly support the rebuilding of Rangiatea wharekarakia, because of the involvement of our tupuna, when the original church was built, through Paora Pohotiraha and because we have retrieved something precious from the land;

 

• Build on and support the marae web home page as a means of modern communication with whanau, both within and beyond the shores of Aotearoa!

 

Anei te tohu nei o

 

 

 

 

Te Hope Huia Hakaraia

TUMUAKI/CHAIRPERSON