pipiwharauroa 10 final

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P i p i w h a r a u r o a T h e H e r a l d o f S p r i n g The Te R awhiti Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 10, June 2010 The Matariki issue Matariki is the name of the Pleiades stars. When they appear the planting season began. They signal the new year; the change from winter to summer; the winter solistice-around June 21. He Tohu Aroha June, 2010 Naini Hiriwanu Hepi nee Rewha The life of a great woman!! Tena Koutou Katoa, 1

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Page 1: Pipiwharauroa 10 Final

P ip iw h arauro a The H erald of S pring

T h e T e R aw h iti N ew s letter

Volume 1 Issue 10, June 2010

The Matariki issueMatariki is the name of the Pleiades stars. When they appear the

planting season began. They signal the new year; the change from winter to summer; the winter solistice-around June 21.

He Tohu ArohaJune, 2010

Naini Hiriwanu Hepi nee Rewha

The life of a great woman!!

Tena Koutou Katoa,

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My name is Naini Hiriwanu Heremaia I am the oldest daughter of Mavis Meteria Heremaia nee Hepi and James Toretore Heremaia. My mother is the third oldest daughter of the late Kara Teina Hepi and Naini Hiriwanu Hepi nee Rewha.

So for those of you that haven’t figured out the obvious I am named after my grandmother which I find in itself a true honour.

Earlier today I was approached to write a piece for Pipiwharauroa on my late grandmother and for once in my life I am truly speechless the only obstacle is where to start?? I can only write about my grandmother from my own perspective and hope that I am able to capture the very essence of her life without hurting or insulting anyone close to me and her.

Born in 1927 on February 16th her first name was taken from Nanny Witi Davis mother Naini and her middle and last names were her fathers. The daughter of Ene Paaka and Hiriwanu Matutaira Rewha. She was born a happy healthy able seeing child in Te Rawhiti Hauai Bay in a one room shack. She attended the local school house in Kaingahoa where Maori was not to be spoken so instead of being called by her given Maori name Naini her teacher named her Nancy which was normal in those days. I recall her saying her cousins use to tease her “Nancy pancy tickle your fancy” or “Nancy Harry”.

At the age of 14 she had a school accident where an ink quill stabbed her in the left eye and the eye was later removed.  She lived a normal life with her disability because Te Paea (Nanny ma) had no eyes and her father was also blind her accident wasn’t looked upon as an obstacle or even considered a disability. She was treated just like everyone else. She never actually went completely blind until around 80 years old. She could fish as good as any able seeing person she could get kina and pipi as good if not better than anyone and her skill at opening an oyster was awesome. She learned to knit and weave kete which she later in her life became well known for in the whanau.

At around the age of 21 years old she met and married Kara Teina Hepi and together they had seven girls, Polly, Te Aroha, Mavis, Elaine, Bebe, Dianne and Queenie and three boys, Kud, Francis and Boxa.  She also mentioned having stillborn twins hence the two generations of twins in our family. Thru the years the pressure on her good eye took its toll and it eventually went blind. She lived her life like any other person if not to the fullest she was also well known for her humour. I remember she spoke about walking home blind drunk singing and stumbling home from Kaingahoa and Te tawa, my initial reaction was utter shock then pure laughter the thought of a half blind old lady stumbling home drunk and in the dark seemed so hilarious and it was the way she told it.  

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Her life with Kara was not all roses like we’d all like to think. They had their ups and downs they both liked to drink and she even smoked cigarettes until she was about 50 years old they attended church service every Sunday at the Te Rawhiti Marae. They kept a well knit family and taught their family all the necessities in life on how to survive and gather food in the big wide world and especially to remember to be there for each other no matter what.

They tried their luck and moved to Auckland for a few years with the hope of making more money and a better life for their children until her mother Ene became sick and went to Auckland to ask Kara and Naini to move home to look after her. Nana did not want to move home she had made her life in Auckland and loved every moment but like the abiding wife she followed her husband because he respected his mother in-law and loved his wife so much he felt the need to honour his mother in-laws wishes and returned to Te Rawhiti.

Kara did many things in and for the community of Te Rawhiti and Whangaruru, where he came from he was especially well known for his hospitality so he always made sure  the table was always set, the cupboards were full and ready for visitors and nana was always willing to get the tea ready if people should stop in. She supported him in everything he did.

In her late 70’s she was diagnosed with dementia she spent a lot of the time being passed around to family at first she was home sick but she came to realise that her children and mokos were busy working to make a living it was easier to go to them rather than them go to her because it was unsafe for her to live in Rawhiti by herself and she got to spend time with most if not all of her children their partners and also her moko.

In May of this year she was sadly diagnosed with lung cancer it was a shock to all the family but we as a family pulled together and realised time was of the escence and we needed to take too many photos and laugh with her as much as we could. Tell her we loved her spend those precious moments with her in the place she loved the most Hauai Bay Te Rawhiti. The family organised to spend Queens Birthday with her and celebrate her life but Nana sadly passed away on Tuesday 01 June 2010.

I think back now at the reality of our situation and now know that we had a life time to spend with nana and learn everything about her in one weekend was impossible if we couldn’t enjoy her in the 83 years she was alive then why start now when she spent her whole lifetime doing all the wonderful things she did and touched the hearts of the many people she knew.

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As a descendant of this great woman I write about I have come to realise nothing was an obstacle for her she was a very strong independent woman with an awesome outlook on life and a great sense of humour. She definitely showed us how to live every moment like it was our last. To her grandchildren as well as her children she was not blind. She was a nana, a mother, an aunty, a grand aunty as well as a sister she could not see any bad in any person, she accepted everyone with open arms, an open mind as well as an open home. Her doors were never locked just like her heart. A death in the family leaves a void that cannot be filled. No one can ever take the place of this individual in the world. We should not try to comfort the family by saying that "it was his time anyway", or, "he was suffering". These may be words of comfort later. However, there must be time to mourn the fact that things will never be the same. One minute he was here and now he is gone. The human mind must be allowed to sit with this reality. Mourning is a necessary part of the human experience. If it is ignored, a general feeling of sadness may pervade the whole family.

For more information about Naini Hiriwanu Hepi can be found in the RUSSELL MUSEUM ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVES NH# 08 02.06.94 and THE WALNUT TREE

March, 2010 Lady Raiha Edmonds Mahuta, buried at Karetu.April, 2010 Moses Witehira's father-in-law, Leon Uren, lay at our marae.

Susan Bristowe Hepi, lay at Ngatiwai, taken to Mokau

Reo Turner - lay one night at Kaimarama, then taken to Otiria for burial.

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The Centenary of our Wharehui. When is it whanau? Does anyone remember or have evidence?

1910? This date is one we have in our Marae records but not in minutes. There are no minutes dealing with this. 1918? This date was in the “Tides of History “book which took the information from the Northland Age which reports the date for the opening of the whare for the Roll of Honour. But World War I finished in 1919. Had our men already returned? Or was the celebration in preparation for their return? And the Roll of Honour prepared for them? That’s not usual tikanga.The Monument was completed in 1948.

He Whakaputanga Hearings for WAI Claim 1040.

What Hearings?

The Waitangi tribunal has set aside four weeks to hear Ngapuhi hapu and the Crown deliver submissions about He Whakaputanga o nga Rangatira o Niu Tireni (the Declaration of Independence of Nu Tireni) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The initial hearing is scheduled for four weeks, May 10-14 was followed by June 10-14, August 9-13 and October 11-15. Each day's sitting will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 5pm. Radio Tautoko broadcast them everyday.

The first two weeks of the hearing included speakers who set out the parameters of the Ngapuhi nui tonu case, with opening statements from Titewhai Harawira and Sir Graham Latimer, followed by key speakers Erima Henare, Rima Edwards, Hirini Henare, Pat Hohepa, Hone Sadler and

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LAWYER:  What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS:     He said, 'Where am I, Kathy?' LAWYER:  And why did that upset you? WITNESS:     My name is Susan!

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Ben Te Haara. We will put some of the full transcripts on www.terawhitimarae.maori.nz . They contain our Ngapuhi world view and beliefs. They are taonga.

What’s WAI 1040 about?

Ngapuhi Nui Tonu is claiming that the chiefs signed Te Tiriti as an equal nation, as one sovereignty to another, in a gesture of partnership and friendliness. They did not sign it to give away their authority and sovereignty to foreigners. The Crown says the opposite: that the chiefs gave up everything to the Crown

In the early 1800’s, the hapu chiefs called together Te Whakaminenga’, the Confederation of hapu Chiefs’ to plan their strategy to cope with the increasing numbers of visitors to their lands.

The Confederation was a traditional gathering of a formal decision making body, usually called when significant events required mass action of the hapu together.

In this case, the event was the increasing numbers of the Europeans and the effect they were having on their lives. The Confederation sent chiefs overseas to gather information and bring their information back to help their strategising.

Maori declared their own nation of Aotearoa when they flew ‘Te Kara’, the flag, on their ship. When King William IV approved the flag the chiefs took this mean that he confirmed their nationhood.

They signed their independence as a nation with a constitution, ‘Te Whakaputanga o Nga Rangatira o Nu Tireni’, ‘The Declaration of Independence of Nu Tireni’ in 1835-1839.

Therefore, when they signed Te Tiriti in 1840, they were not giving away their sovereignty. They were signing as an equal nation as a sign of partnership.

They believed Hobson’s words when he said that we were one people.

The Crown believes that the chiefs were giving their sovereignty to the Queen and that the Tiriti cancelled the Whakaputanga. This is the main point of argument of the Wai Claim 1040. Ngapuhi Nui Tonu disagrees with the Crown. In Kaumatua Nuki Aldridge’s (Whangaroa) words, “ E ai nga korero a nga tupuna matua what it [signing Te Tiriti] would have meant to the rangatira at the time was that we would be one people under the Maori kaupapa, we would live together under the Maori umbrella.

History does not say that, so I pose this question to the NZ Crown and all its institutions: If say, a Maori chief signed a treaty with England and he shook the hand of the Queen of England, and said, ”We are now one people”, would the Queen then give England away?”

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Manuka Henare, Ngati Haua, Te Aupouri, of the Auckland University Business school said: ” I take the view that the very nature of mana and the nature of a rangatira was such that they would not agree en masse to give away all their chiefly powers and authority-in essence their mana rangatira-to the Queen of England.

Finally, based on the historical evidence, I pose this fundamental economic question for the Tribunal’s consideration: How did the Te Tai Tokerau economy of the early nineteenth century change from being the breadbasket of the then Nu Tireni economy to being the basketcase of the New Zealand economy in 2010?”

Hone Sadler, said that the Ngapuhi world view underpinned the actions of the tupuna involved in the events of 1835-40 and beyond. They clearly understood the contents of Whakaputanga and they had had a relationship with pakeha for at least 20 years.

Ngapuhi were literate and knowledgeable. They knew te Tiriti legitimatised pakeha people living here. And Maori tolerated settlers but Pakeha had to look after their own. Maori had their own system of government.

Pakeha needed Maori protection. By 1840 there were about 2000 settlers and about 100,000 Maori.

Maori wanted to retain the benefits they had seen. They were willing to share access to those benefits.

Erima Henare, Ngati Hine,

Our Tupuna took a calculated risk in signing Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They believedthe words that were conveyed to them, and trusted the people that explained itsmeaning. They believed what they were told and they signed it on the basis ofthat understanding.

The Tribunal, are here today because we, as the descendents of signatories ofTe Tiriti, believe that the promises made to our tupuna have not been honoured.Their trust and honour have been betrayed. The Crown have lied andmanipulated the meaning of Te Tiriti to the extent that has eroded its verymeaning.

The Rangatira gathered at Waitangi to consider Te Tiriti, were proven battle hardened veterans. The role of Rangatira entitled you to respect. You were not entitled to surrender the Rangatiratanga of the people.

Had the Rangatira gathered at Waitangi been told that they should surrender their Mana to the foreigners, ‘all hell would have broken loose’ and the foreigners would have been ejected or annihilated.

In 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany Ngapuhi leaders promptly

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convened at Waiomio and declared war on Hitler, even before the New ZealandGovernment did so. That is how they saw their obligation to the Crown underTe Tiriti. At the same time, those very same rangatira (and my father wasamongst them) were co-operating with other tribes in support of a petition to thePrivy Council to require the Crown to honour Te Tiriti.

Honour Te Tiriti. Those words are on many of the gravestones at Tapakuna cemetery at Motatau. That remains our plea. That is why we appear before you today.

Sir Graham Latimer and Titewhai Harawira

When we look back at those chiefs who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we cannot helpbut feel immensely proud at the honour and integrity with which they acted. Theysigned believing the Crown would honour its word, and our tupuna, they fullyhonoured their word.

The Crown, however, have behaved very differently. It acted with deceit anddishonour, seeking to suppress us and take what it wanted, even those things that we had agreed to share.

We don’t want to stand here and argue about which Crown or what Government. We don’t need to. Every single one of them has been part of a lie that festers within our history.

He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga – the Declaration of Independence 1835;Proves our rangatiratanga. We declared it, Britain agreed with it. No-one everchallenged it.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi 1840; Affirmed our rangatiratanga, on the transition to a State, in a joint declaration with the Crown. It is now part of our informal constitution.

We have had to fight a long and arduous battle to raise the profile of Te Tiriti oWaitangi, and have the promises made in Te Tiriti redeemed.

We now want to bring to your attention Te Whakapuakitanga mo nga iwi Taketake – the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007.

This spells out the minimum requirements for our rangatiratanga. It has now beeninternationally recognised by more than 150 states, including last month, NewZealand.

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With each of these covenants: He Whakaputanga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and TeWhakapuakitanga, Ngapuhi was there from the start. We need to remember this. It is important for our history to do so.

Patuone Hohepa, Professor, Waima.

My presentation will focus on perceptions from the western shores, Te Tai Tamatane. I will explain Te Hokianga nui a Kupe as a destination and a point of origin and dispersal.

It was here that Kupe, Nukutawhiti and Ruanui arrived and settled , and it was from here that the laws of Rahiri have emanated shaping the evolving identity of the Ngapuhi confederation and its tikanga or substantive laws.

We do not have Waka based Confederations. We do not have Kingitanga or Arikitanga in its former sense. We do have mana whenua, mana tangata, mana motuhake.

All hapū of Northland, all iwi are linked to Hokianga, and all Ngāpuhi nui tonu are linked in several ways to Hokianga. But I will explain that each has its own integrity.

It is at this point that I will discuss our enduring connections to He Whakaputanga me Te Tiriti. I wish to emphasize that our people assert a relationship to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and not The Treaty of Waitangi, which I dismiss as a fraud.

RAKAUMANGAMANGAWords from Marara Te Tai Hook, written by her mother.

The waiata is sung by Nanny Mere Rewha Willoughby (her version) on the marae website.

www.terawhitimarae.maori.nz

Ko Rakaumangamanga RakaumangamangaKo te maunga rongonui Is the mountain of renownE tu mai nei standing hereI te marangai to the eastKo te herenga kupu The binding word A nga tupuna of the ancestorsKo Rakaumangamanga RakaumangamangaNo Hawaiki e. is from Hawaiki

Ka piki ake au I climb upKi runga o te tihi to the summitO Rakaumangamanga of RakaumangamangaOnamata e, of ancient timesKia matakitaki to watch/gaze I te au o Morunga at the current of Morunga

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LAWYER:  How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS:  By death. LAWYER:  And by whose death was it terminated? WITNESS: Take a guess.

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Ko te hoenga waka, o (which was) the paddling pathNgapuhi e. of Ngapuhi

Ko te au o Morunga The current of MorungaE hora nei spread out (before me)Takoto whakarunga lying upwards (southward)Whakararo e, lying downwards (northward)Ko te tai tuku waka The tide which brought the canoesO nga tupuna, of our ancestorsNo Hawaiki mai (Came) from HawaikiTuku iho e. down (to Aotearoa)

Ka titiro iho au, I look toward Ki te Taitokerau TaitokerauKi Taiamai to TaiamaiHokianga e and HokiangaKo te takotoranga It has been laid down/foundationTo mana e Ngapuhi that your mana NgapuhiNo Hawaiki mai (Came) from HawaikiTuku iho e down (to Aotearoa)

O maunga whakahi, Your mountains of prideKei te tai marangai on the eastern sideKo Rakaumangamanga, are Rakaumangamanga andMana-ia e ManaiaKei te Taihauauru On the western sideKo Maungataniwha, is Maungataniwha (Mangamuka)Ko Whakatere e, is Whakatere (Waima)Ngapuhi e. (that completes the whare tapu of) Ngapuhi.

THE MAUNGA REPORT

From our roving reporter, Kuia Marara Hook

5th or 6th January 2010.

Tena koutou katoa,

Am attaching the words to our waiata Rakaumangamanga. These words I copied from my mother’s handwriting in one of her books. Some of our whanau have words which differ slightly from mine, but that’s okay, you learn what you know or what you have been taught and I’ll learn what I have seen written! The main thing is the meaning of the words and I have translated it as best I can. I typed and printed out copies of this waiata and we all sang this after nga mihimihi on the maunga!

Yes, the second verse, Kia piki ake au ki runga o te tihi o Rakaumangamanga, Let me climb to the summit of the maunga which is just what we did (except we didn’t “climb”) but standing there gazing out to the moana, the paddling path of our tuupuna on their waka, we looked upwards from whence they came, we looked towards the north, to

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Taiamai, to Hokianga, to Manaia, to Maungataniwha, to Whakatere, to Whiria, Panguru, Papata, Ramaroa then back to Rakaumangamanga, te tahi o nga pou o te whare tapu o Ngapuhi, thus completing the sacred house of Ngapuhi. It was very moving standing there on the tihi AND the added bonus of being taken to Motukokako - it was just TOO MUCH, and was a really emotional experience for me and I expressed it in my tangi-korero. We all felt the ‘presence’ of our tuupuna on both places and we must thank those responsible for according us the opportunity of visiting the two maunga. But, let me start at the beginning.

The idea was first mooted by Blandy, who had a grant from Nga Whenua Rahui for both hapu to show the pest control project and to show the community of Te Rawhiti. He asked about taking nga kuia and kaumaatua to the maunga. I thought about it very deeply and on inquiring how big the chopper landing pad was, I visualized how we were to do this ceremony. It was also suggested that a pou whenua in the form of a rock/stone from Ohututea be placed on the tihi, (the peak) to represent the mauri and mana of Ngati Kuta and Patukeha. It was going to be such a significant ceremony that I thought it was worthwhile too, to have the boys perform a taki (a challenge which does not involve chasing and killing traditionally). I ran the idea past both Moka and Blandy who agreed to this being done.

Blandy engaged the services of a pilot and the chopper from Te Kaha. We counted nga kuia and kaumaatua and came up with a figure of 16, 8 from each hapu. Those who went were: Eddie & Ella Garland, John Martin – Pona’s son and our Akonga for Rawhiti, Moka & Hine Puru, Robert Willoughby, Peti Ahitapu, her sister Faith, Joe Bristowe, Keita Inch, Hemi Rewiri, his daughter Tony, Blandy, Tamaira Hook, Jock Hepi (Aunty Naini’s moko), Lynette Te Tai and myself and the 2 documentary film girls, Jude and Mika. I had asked Della to come but she didn’t in the end.

Blandy had asked Moses to be the third warrior, but he had hurt his leg and was unable to perform, so there were just Tamaira and Jock who performed excellently considering the uneven terrain, the small ground space, and the small tree stumps left in the ground. Going to Motukokako was an additional last minute arrangement but it all fitted in very well. Blandy and the pilot had already been to Motukokako to suss out a landing space somewhere near the top, and Blandy and Moses were the first ones to be taken to that spot yesterday morning, armed with chainsaws and axes to cut a track vertically from where they were dropped off, to the top where they would clear a space for the chopper to land the rest of us. The chopper was a 3 seater excluding the pilot. Blandy said it was a bit ‘hairy’ (his own words) and I understood that the chopper landed in a precarious position, with one ‘foot’ resting on a rock and the other ??? (don’t know, I wasn’t too keen on hearing the rest of it!!) They managed to cut a track of sorts to the very top of Motukokako where they both cleared a space for the chopper to land and disembark us.

To get back to the maunga.Blandy, Tamaira and Jock were on the first load, then the crew girls and I went next as I wanted to suss out how the powhiri and the taki were to be

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done. Poor Tamaira, as soon as we arrived, his first words were “anyone gotta smoke?” – not to worry about food, just a smoke!! I went through the procedure with the both of them, who was going first, how far they were to go before the laying down of the leaves to be picked up etc etc. While we waited for the rest of the whanau to be brought over, we had a visit from some of the trapper boys who had been flown out with all their gear and food early that morning before our crew, Fancis, Rob McPherson, Alvin, Carl, Karena,

He and Jock had cut 2 thin kahikatoa for their taki, Tamaira’s old piupiu disintegrated so he just did it in his shorts, Jock had acquired a lovely piupiu, so he looked the part, well, they both looked the part actually. When the last of the whanau arrived, Blandy gave a quick run-down of the Motukokako visit, the numbers had to be limited because the landing space was very small and the pilot had allowed us half an hour on there while he began coptering the whanau back to The Corner in Kaingahoa.

I gave a run-down of our part of the powhiri, how far the first rakau whakaara (the first twig) was to be placed and also where the rakau takoto (the final twig) was to be placed and after it was picked up, Lynette and I would karanga the whanau forward. Oh, I forgot, on one of the drop-off trips, Moka had brought the kohatu with him and placed it where the old trig point had stood, which was near Lynette and I, nga kai karanga.

Moka was the one who picked up the leaves laid down and as the whanau moved forward slowly, I did the karanga saying the words, “haere mai e te whanau ki runga I to tatou maunga rongo nui, te tahi o nga pou o te whare tapu o Ngapuhi eee”Now, as Moka moved forward with the others behind him, he placed the two sprigs of leaves on to the kohatu saying a chant. His words of mihi were so beautiful, I’m hoping that the film girls captured his mihi on film, if they have, I want to send it out to you all. I do remember he acknowledged Ngare Raumati, the first ones who lived here those many years ago only to be nearly wiped out by Ngapuhi. After Moka’s deep meaningful words, Uncle Eddie said whakamoemiti after which we all sang “Ko Rakaumangamanga”The other day I had typed out, printed and handed out copies to those present of the waiata I have attached today.MotukokakoThe chopper came, picked Blandy, Joe B, Peti, Faith her sister, Mika one of the doco girls, John Martin, Tamaira and self and took us over to Motukokako – here again I was overcome with emotion, being physically present on Motukokako, with the Hole directly below us, having seen it so many times on postcards, newspapers, from a boat at a distance, from the air when I was taken for a ride over Whangamumu and out to the Cape a few months ago, I tell you people it was something else to be there. I mihi-ed to Blandy, Peti, her sister and Joe B, being the direct uri of those original shareholders and giving me the honour of sharing this moment with them.

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Well, folks, this is it for now, I wanted to share these two memorable visits with you all and once again would like to acknowledge those responsible for making it happen for us.

No reira e te whanau, nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa,Me te arohanoa o Ihoa ki runga I a koutou mo tenei Tau Hou.Arohanui na te kuia nei x x x x

Matariki

Find out about Matariki. See what’s happening.

http://www.korero.maori.nz/news/matariki/factsandfigures

Dawn Rise As the year moves from autumn towards its shortest winter day, the sunrise moves north along the eastern horizon. When the sunrise reaches Matariki, it turns around and starts moving south again. This effect can be seen everywhere on the planet and makes the Matariki stars famous world wide. In Greece, several important temples face straight towards Matariki. In Japan the world rally car Subaru is named after the Matariki stars.

JUDGE GREG DAVIS, NGATI MANU,SWEARING IN CEREMONY

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 LAWYER:  She had three children, right? WITNESS:  Yes. LAWYER:  How many were boys? WITNESS: None. LAWYER:   Were there any girls? WITNESS:  Your Honour, I think I need a different lawyer. Can I get a new lawyer? ____________________________________________

LAWYER:  Can you describe the individual? WITNESS:     He was about medium height and had a beard LAWYER:  Was this a male or a female? WITNESS:     Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with

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Tena koutou katoa from the Roving Unpaid Reporter, Marara Te Tai Hook.

What a wonderful day for Ngatimanu, for Taitokerau, for Ngapuhi, for Maoridom, to attend the swearing in of one of our own as a Judge.   (In the words of Shane Jones in his congratulatory mihi to Greg, 'it was good for him to attend a swearing in ceremony than be sworn at'!!).   We women commented on what a lovely change it was to attend something other than a tangi.  

 Greg is a direct descendant of Pomare, his parents being Pat and Glennis Davis who used to own and run the Bonanza tearooms in Kawakawa, (Pat and I both received our JP citation at the same time). Greg grew up in Kawakawa, has had a full and varied legal career and experience in same, and according to all the accolades, he is cut out for the turanga. Greg's brother is Kelvin Davis Labour MP, and a brother of their father, Pat, is Rome who married Grace, one of Sir James Henare's daughters.

There were about 25 in the Judges party, plus supporters, who were all given a taki by Wiremu Wiremu's boys.   A marquee was set up outside with loudspeakers as well as microphones inside the whare.  As the Roopu advanced after the taki, cousin Riu Te Tai and Bubby from Hokianga called them under the marquee to the steps where Isey Bristowe and Heni Davis called them to the door and Aunty Violet and I called them inside the whare in front of nga tuupuna on the wall.  It was a bit of a tight squeeze inside but we managed.

I didn't know any of the Judges' party, but I recognised Judge Coxhead (the Tribunal Judge) and Andrew Spencer.   There wasn't anyone close to me whom I could ask who was who!   Parekura Horomia, Shane Jones, John Carter, Hone Harawira, Rudie Taylor, Eddie and Ella, were the ones I knew.   

Our Ben did the karakia, Pae Wynyard, Lou Tana and Arapeta Hamilton were on the taumata with Sonny George organising the seating, the speakers etc.  The speeches were great, I wish I could quote some of the hard-case sayings, one just had to be there to appreciate what was being said.  

After nga mihimihi, a break for a cup of tea was called, the whare re-set for the swearing in ceremony and we were able to mix and mingle for a while.

  Robert Willoughby was present, Pita Tipene, Dr Manuka Henare, John Klaricich and wife, ummm ?? who else??   Anyway, after that the Judges filed in again, sat at the top with their gowns and the Chief Judge Russell Johnston I think his name is, took over the proceedings from there, Greg was sworn in, his wife Tania gave a wonderful mihi too - of course you all know don't you that Tania's mother is Tawera who is Uncle George Hakaraia and Auntie Maraea's daughter, so that was a double-banger for Ngati Manu, Maraea having been a Sullivan.

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Of course we women accompanied each speaker with waiata, tis lovely to have a group singing, lots of volume!   We then all filed in for dinner which was served out in true Ngati Manu style, all organised, plenty to eat etc.   

OK, that's it folks, I'll retire now, glad that you've got a bit of news of my day's outing, very enjoyable.

Noho mai ra koutou i roto i te arohanoa o Ihoa o nga Mano,Same old kuia  x x

 Subject: Tamariki Ora 2010 - Maori Television, Sunday 27 June, 8pm & Monday 28th June, 8pm

Recommended viewing - so tune in and spread the word.  This is a production focusing on the issue of child abuse.  Karen McKenzie who directed the last Brainwave  "First Years Last Forever" DVD; has worked on the "Tamariki Ora 2010" programme with fellow directors Kathleen Mantel and Michael Bennett and producer Meg Douglas.    There is some input from Brainwave and an interview with Dr. Bruce Perry.Carol Hirschfeld is presenting and producing. There are a number of well known people appearing.  

<http://www.maoritelevision.com/Default.aspx?tabid=558&amp;pid=7631>

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