Ngāmotu Playcentre – He toa o te Ko Wai Au Whakataetae                                        

Winners of the competition! Tūmeke!

Tēnā koutou katoa, e mihi nui ana ki a koutou, nau mai hoki mai ki te mahi o te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi.  Ko te tumanako ka ora koutou ki te whai hua i te wahanga tuatahi o te tau hou.

Greetings everyone, welcome back to Playcentre for the New Year.  Hopefully you are refreshed to make the most of the first term.

With the first kaupapa of the year being Waitangi Day, it is good to know that Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa acknowledges the partnership within Te Tiriti o Waitangi, evident in our governance structure with the two-house model and in our philosophy where we are committed to a bicultural curriculum and protecting Māori Culture and heritage.  It guides our practice where our tamariki can learn and experience te ao Māori.

In the words of our mōteatea  “ . . .me honore te Tiriti o Waitangi, kia kotahi ai tatou, hei ara tika mau, whaia tō mana motuhake e, e tipu e rea, ka tipu koe he tangata e!“,  “honour the Tiriti o Waitangi, so that this will make us one people, and you will find your pathway, always pursue your absolute uniqueness and stand proud in it.  Grow up oh little one and become a strong person.”

Ko Wai Au Whakataetae  – Competition                                                                                                                                

He mihinui tēnei i tō koutou whakatapoko mō tātou whakataetae mō te Rā o Waitangi.   Once again, a big thank you to those Centres who entered our Waitangi Day competition.  Some entries have been posted on facebook and here are some more that may inspire creativity for fostering mana tangata in your centres!

Tawa-Linden Playcentre                                                                                                       

Tōku Whānau tree

Toko Playcentre                                                                                                                

Whānau trees, meet our families and sharing stories

Spencerville Playcentre                                                                                                                           

Tamariki building a waka together

Pōkeno Playcentre                                                                                                                                                       

A kowhai tree with whānau

Miramar Playcentre                                                                                                           

Pōhutukawa whānau tree and Centre philosophy

Te whakanui i te Rā o Waitangi – Celebrating Waitangi Day                                                               

Some of our Kaihononga Māori kōrero about what they were doing on Waitangi Day. 

Mā te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tatou – In unity we have strength                                                                    \

nā Jean Yearn

Upholding the tikanga and kawa of Waikato Tainui Kiingitanga has always been a commitment of my Tohikurī-Pompey whānau family, staunch followers of the Kiingitanga, declared since Tāwhiao. So, as part of the Kiingitanga ope group that travelled by bus from Kirikiriroa Hamilton to Waitangi, I was intensely involved in this years maumahara rememberance of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and those tūpuna who signed it.   

Ngā Puhi welcomed us on with such veracity and passion, you could feel the aeons of wairuatanga ancestral wisdom fill the air. The energy all around the Marae ātea was exciting.

I looked across the ope and caught a glimpse of my big cousin Toi Katipa give me a big Māori thumbs up with his eyebrows, it was a moment of validity as a Māori, that within the excitement there was also safety in unity. As expressed by our King “Just be Māori all day everyday we are here we are strong” days before at Hui ā motu ki Tūrangawaewae. 

To the final call from the host kaikaranga we moved as one across the ātea behind our Kiingitanga, a symbiotic relationship between eachother and the whenua, like a flock of birds or a school of fish that moves with nature, and then listen to some of Aoteroa’s finest orators inspirational kauwhau speeches. 

After the pōwhiri I took my tamaiti child Riley-Kiore (2) to the moana for a kaukau swim. During that time the mighty waka tāua returned from their haerenga.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

“Tirohia! Ki ngā waka e Kiore!” “Waka, waka, waka” She chirps back to me, before continuing to shape her sandcastle out of Waitangis’ warm sand. Every now and then she lifts her head to watch the men chant; “Piki te waka… Hi!”  “Piki te waka… Hi!”                                                                                                     

Carrying waka onto land or pōwhiri or singing waiata together on the bus, it is the embodiment of Kotahitanga. Waitangi for me enabled this and I’d  love for us at Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi to reflect on Kotahitanga too and what this core Māori value can mean in our Playcentre Aotearoa journey this year. 

Te Whare Tikanga Māori have reflected on Kotahitanga as “developing and maintaining a unity of purpose and direction and avoiding approaches and decisions that lead to division and disharmony. A commitment by the organisation through oneness of mind and action of achieving its vision would be the expression of kotahitanga. All are encouraged to make their contribution, to have their say. The collective would then determine what is best and appropriate for the organisation.” 

We are that collective and even if it is to build a sandcastle together, be encouraged that Kotahitanga can guide our 2024 haerenga ahead of us, and that it is something very special. 

Credit; Pictures Taki_Prod, and Jean Yern

Kaihononga Māori Lower South Island Update te ra o Waitangi

Waitangi Day Rauemi

If you would like to learn more about Te Tiriti o Waitangi please follow these links:

Playcentre Aotearoas’ commitment https://www.playcentre.org.nz/about/te-tiriti-o-waitangi/                                                                                  

Visit He Tohu, the National Library to see Te Tiriti o Waitangi He Tohu (natlib.govt.nz)

Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi  https://youtu.be/jxy6cGMA0kM

Poroaki a Erana Rattray | Ngāti Maniapoto

Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori | Māori Relationship Manager

On Friday 19th January 2024, whānau, friends and hoamahi, including most of the Senior Leadership team, the CEO, and three Kaihononga Māori, gathered at the USI tari in Ōtautahi (and online) to farewell Erana. She has been an exceptional and dynamic senior leader of Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi (TWTN). The poroaki was led by Emma Rolleston (Ngāi te Rangi), a past Kaihononga Māori and friend.

Erana is a champion of te ao Māori and an esteemed colleague and friend to many. Her involvement with the organisation first started as a member of Redwood Playcentre in 2013. Erana said “I started with the organisation to support my children’s wellbeing and development, and after they fledged, I stayed to nourish my own development. I’m another proud product of emergent leadership.” During her ten year tenure with TWTN previous roles include: USI Te Whare Tikanga Māori delegate, Bicultural Officer, Centre President, Session facilitator, PLD facilitator, Education Tutor, Education Marker, Babies Can Play Facilitator, Kaihononga Māori, and Life Member of Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Rākau Whero. Erana was appointed as the Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori in March 2022 and led a team of five Kaihononga Māori. Collectively, all of these roles demonstrate the aroha, passion and committment that Erana has contributed to the organisation.

Erana has strived to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi (TToW) principles and values within all mahi, and has empowered her team and the wider organisation with this ethos. This has been evident in the elevated levels of cultural responsiveness across TWTN with many kaimahi able to stand and deliver mihimihi with confidence, and leaders embracing and embedding te reo and tikanga Māori practices some of which include: mihi whakatau, poroaki, whakatuwhera, and whakamoe. And, through strategic cultural education has developed understandings of: tikanga Māori processes such as mihi whakatau and pōwhiri. Te reo Māori is one of her great passions and she is an active exponent of its revitalisation.

Erana believes education is more effective through meaningful relationships, and highlights the importance of manaakitanga – hospitality and care as a value and practice in relationship building. These same values were also reflected within the mihi to Erana from kaimahi and highlighted her pūmanawa with whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, and cultural development. Also, her enduring relationships reflect these qualities, ‘he tino tangata manaaki koe – you are a very kind, hospitable, caring and uplifting person!’

Erana is incredibly hard working and during her tenure, some highlights of her recent mahi kaha include:

  • Embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi into systems, processes and actions
  • Centre Health Reporting Project
  • Eight Poi workshops (139 participants)
  • Organisational National Te Reo Māori Titles Project
  • Cultural PD resource development including tikanga and te reo Māori
  • Kaiwhakaihuwaka (bicultural officer) promotion
  • Policy development and embedding tikanga Māori processes of Mihi Whakatau, Poroaki, Whakatuwhera and Whakamoe to support culturally responsive leadership and practices.
  • ERO hui and engagement
  • Te Ao Māori campaign initiatives including: Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Puaka/Matariki, and Waitangi Day, among others.

Jean prepared a slideshow that beautifully portrayed the journey Erana and her whānau have taken through the years with TWTN. Lisa then adorned Erana with a koha – an ātaahua pounamu toki necklace which befitted her rangatira qualities in its symbolism of strength, courage, determination, focus and honour, and a restaurant voucher for a well deserved dinner date with husband Les! And, a pair of pounamu earrings was also gifted.

Lastly, Erana delivered a heartfelt and inspiring mihi to hoamahi. And, in her departing words she laid down a wero for TWTN: to remain focused on the principles of TToW and uphold these within all mahi. And, to actively focus on partnership practices that take an inclusive approach with shared conversations and decision making with both Te Tiriti partners throughout all processes.

The event concluded with kai, and the Kaihononga Māori team had their last hui at Sumner beach with a dip in the moana, afternoon tea and a good kōrero.

Erana is transitioning into the health sector and leaves to take up the role of Senior Advisor | Strategy, Engagement, Procurement and Supply Chain with Te Whatu Ora.

E te rangatira, ka nui te mihi ki a koe ki te mahi kaha i Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi me ā-hāpori i te motu nei. he tino toki koe, nō reira, e Erana, tēnā koe. Haere pai ai ki tō huarahi hou.

Great leader, we acknowledge all of the hard work you have done for TWTN and communities throughout the country. You have the qualities of a chief, therefore, Erana, thank you sincerely. Go well on your new pathway.

Mā te huruhuru, karere te manu Adorn the bird with wings so it may soar.

Ngā mihi a-poroaki – event acknowledgements

Ki a Emma Rolleston i tō mahi rangatira i te poroaki; Emma, thank you for your leadership of the farewell.

Ki a ngā kaiamahi e tuku ana te pūtea mō te koha a Erana, e tuku ana ngā whakapāha me ngā mihi hoki, ā, te rōpū a USI i te manaakitanga i te poroaki. To all kaimahi who kindly contributed to the koha for Erana, sent apologies, and messages, and to the USI team for hosting the event.

Ki a Jo Leahy i te mahi whakaritetanga ki ngā karere, me te hui tīma, kōrua ko Rebecca Congalton i te mahi āwhina i te hui tīma. To Jo for the mahi with poroaki comms and hui logisitics, and to Rebecca for online hui tech support.

Ki a te kāhui Kaihononga Māori i te mahi whakaritetanga a poroaki. To the KM team for support with organising the event.

Nō reira, he mihi nunui ki a tātou i te tautoko ki te kaupapa nei, tēnā tātou katoa!

Erana wearing her pounamu toki, a koha from kaimahi a Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi

Emma Rolleston, Erana Rattray, Jean Yern, Lisa Te Raki, Sumner Beach. Absent: Faith Tūpou, Shekinah Graham, Tara Bovill