Rōpū engagement
Could you be our next hau kāinga??
This term Te Whare Tikanga Māori Trustees are committed to deepening whānau Māori engagement and growing Rōpū. And we’d love to do that by coming to visit you!!
After our wānanga in April we are looking to hold a gathering in your region, and to do that we need a host(ess) and somewhere, a Centre, that trustees and whānau Māori centre members (your own and from nearby) can come, be welcomed and gather together for a few hours. Each gathering is intended to connect whānau Māori across centres and their region and will be the start of something bigger.
We’ll take care of the kai, kōrero and koha so if your centre or hapori would be keen to host us we’d love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].
While only one or two kanohi-ki-te-kanohi hui with us will be achievable per region in the next two months, we’re also looking ahead with excitement to our Hui ā-Tau in Hurae/July, along with more opportunities to connect through hui for Rōpū in the following two terms.
Hei konā rā!
Tangata Tiriti Hui 2025
He mihi nunui – a heartfelt thank you to all our incredible representatives who joined us for this year’s Tangata Tiriti Hui. We are deeply grateful for the time you took away from your whānau to be part of this important kaupapa. Your passion, commitment, and aroha are the heartbeat of our movement.
This year’s hui was full of energy, insight, and meaningful connection. We began at Papatūānuku Kōkiri marae, an urban marae in the heart of Māngere. Over the weekend, we rolled up our sleeves and got stuck into powerful mahi – sharing experiences and ideas to strengthen our house processes, deepening our understanding of Playcentre governance, and exploring ways to support the development of thriving hapori. These conversations and collaborations will help shape the future of our organisation.
There were also rich opportunities for learning and inspiration. Michelle Lavender, past Te Whare Tikanga Māori Education Co-Convenor and New Zealand Playcentre Federation Officer, delivered an engaging workshop on the history and application of the Two-Whare Model in Playcentre, weaving together past and present with wisdom and clarity. We were also privileged to hear from Kerrin Leoni, who shared her inspirational journey as a wāhine Māori in leadership – a story of resilience, identity, and purpose that resonated with many. And throughout it all, there was laughter and connection as our trustees and regional cluster representatives reconnected kanohi ki te kanohi, and new relationships were formed.
The wairua of the hui reminded us of the strength we carry when we come together – for our tamariki, our whānau, and our communities.
Ka rawe te mahi – so much valuable work was done, and we’re excited to carry this momentum forward into our work to support centres across Aotearoa.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari taku toa he toa takitini – our strength is not that of one person alone, but of many.