Changing of the Hawke's Bay guard as new iwi leaders ushered in

Bayden Barber, with Orini Gillies (left) called onto Waipatu Marae today as new chairman of Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc. Photo / Warren Buckland

A new era in Hawke's Bay-Wairarapa iwi leadership was ushered in on Friday with a powhiri for the incoming Ngati Kahungunu board with only the second chairman since the modern-day board was established almost three decades ago.

More than 200 people were at the ceremony at Hastings marae Waipatu, home marae of recently voted-out long-term first iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana, as successor Bayden Barber was called on with Orini Gillies, of his own Waimarama Marae.

With tangata whenua, Tomoana would sit in an off-white suit and open collar, guitar as always close at hand. Across the marae atea Barber was cloaked in a muka korowai offered by cousin and iwi director of te reo Jeremy Tatere McLeod, made in Taihape a decade or so ago of the finest flax fibre and worn by him at his own doctoral graduation.

Eminent Kahungunu academic Sir Timoti Karetu would later speak on the marae atea on behalf of Barber, whose piece would be left till afterwards, as the board took its place in front of the wharenui for group photos.

In suit not quite Elvis-white, but sometimes sounds-like, outgoing iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana with guitar in the powhiri for successor Bayden Barber. Photo / Warren Buckland

Among those at the powhiri, after which the board returned to the iwi offices in Hastings and the boardroom, were MPs, local body leaders, representatives of the six constituent taiwhenua in the Kahungunu rohe, from Wairoa to Wairarapa, and representatives of iwi agency partners from such fields as housing agriculture and fishers, welfare, police and corrections.

Among other iwi luminaries were Dr Ashley Puriri who had come from Hamilton for the day to accompany Barber on to the marae, and would append his own whaikorero with the Puccini aria Nessun Dorma.

The occasion stems from the triennial elections for the board of the country's fourth largest iwi, which ended on April 26, with Barber winning the chairmanship and ousting Tomoana, the chairman for 27 years.

"Thank you for looking after our iwi," said Barber as he highlighted that as much as welcoming the incoming board, the occasion was also about celebrating the service of Tomoana, wife Mere, and whānau.

The election was the first in a year of Hawke's Bay leadership triennials, with new councils and mayors to be chosen in October.

Missing from that ballot will be the name of Bayden Barber, who confirmed he will not be seeking re-election to the Hastings District Council after six years' service.