Hui ā Tau 2015
Posted on 16 September 2015
Our Tuia Te Tāngata Whānau weekend and AGM saw whānau from all over the motu descend on Omaka Marae and Marlborough last month. The weekend was a celebration and expression of our Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tōtanga. Both young and old joined together to celebrate our successes of the past year, our unique Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō cultural identity, and manaakitanga was at the forefront of everything that we did.
Cultural highlights included:
• Seeing the faces of North Island whānau light up as they walked off the ferry and saw our tamariki welcoming them home and waving the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō flag.
• The whānau sports day, was a huge success with pakeke and tamariki showcasing their skills on the basketball and touch courts.
• Seeing our marae alive with so many whānau. Last count on Saturday was that we had over 70 people staying there, and around 160 for hākari that night.
• Hearing the stories from the boys who harvested the tuna from Lake Rotoroa and the selection of kaimoana on the buffet table at hākari was a real expression of our manaakitanga.
• Listening to the beautiful voices of the Ngāti Hemi whānau from Ratana Pā as they performed during hākari.
Then on Sunday at the AGM, sharing with the whānau some of the positive initiatives we have achieved over the past year.
Finally a very special mention to our Mana Rangatahi ambassadors who stood with so much confidence and pride as they showcased the benefits of the wānanga and communicated their experiences. They thrilled everyone in the room and showed why wānanga development is essential in building our iwi and growing our future leaders.