Ngahiwi Tomoana has been the chair of Ngatii Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated since 1996.
Ngahiwi Tomoana has been the chair of Ngatii Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated since 1996.
Last week we celebrated the 35th birthday of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.
The first chairman was Pera Edwards from Mangaroa Marae, second - Bill Stirling from Waipatu, thirdly - Eru Smith from Waipatu, fourth - Henare Kani from Dannevirke/ Porangahau, and then the fifth chairman was me in 1988. Sincethen we've had four more, including Christine Teariki, Tom Mulligan, Shona Jones and the current chairman, Mike Paku.
It's been 35 years of twists, turns, stresses and, strains and it has overcome all the adversities to be what it is today, one of the biggest and most highly trusted health and social providers in the country for Māori and Non-Māori alike.
I acknowledge the hard work of the Te Haaro Board and also the kaimahi, who many times remain unsung as providers of Taiwhenua service through the years. Ka mau te wehi!
We are three weeks out from the general election in which there are at least three Kahungunu standing for seats for their respective parties.
We see the incumbent, Meka Whaitiri, who was also the chief executive of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, being challenged by Heather Te Au Skipworth, who is a director on the Kahungunu Asset Holding Company board.
Both have a grounding in iwi and iwi politics as well as growth through their own ambitions, Heather with Ironmāori in health and fitness and Meka through politics.
Ron Mark is standing for New Zealand First and has been quite an outstanding Defence Minister despite the politics of his colleagues, Winston Peters and Shane Jones.
He has provided a steady Kahungunu hand in the maelstrom of politics. I wish them all the best in their campaigning and in the election.
PROTECTING OUR FISHERIES SETTLEMENT
Last week the Green Party announced their policy to diminish commercial fishing activities and eventually they appear to want to shut down the commercial fishing industry. This is a threat to our Treaty Claim which we fought for, for 20 years before we settled in 2006.
Iwi leaders have been urged to quietly yet aggressively protect our commercial wellbeing and fisheries settlement while honouring those who fought so long and hard to achieve it.
RĀHUI COVID 2020
Covid-19 has disrupted us all this year and I don't think we should ever return to where we were before. I believe that we should leapfrog over the past and into the future. We need to look forward and innovatively move ahead with caution and courage.
