Mihi from the Chair

E ngā uri o Ngāti Pāoa, kia tau ngā hua nui o Hineraumati, o Hinerauwhārangi ki runga ki tēnā, ki tēnā o tātou. Ko te tūmanako kua whai wā ki te noho tahi ki ō tātou whānau, ō tātou hoa, ki ā tātou tamariki mokopuna anō hoki. Inā te rerehua o te noho tahi, o te kai tahi, o te kaukau i tēnei kaupeka o te tau.

Ā, e tika ana kia tahuri ki a rātou kua wehe atu ki tua o Paerau, koutou kua oti atu, e moe, haere atu rā. Tātou ngā mahuetanga iho o rātou mā, ngā kanohi ora, kia tau ngā manaakitanga o te wā.

We hope this pānui finds you enjoying all the offerings of Hineraumati and Hinerauwhārangi this summer season. We acknowledge the many kaupapa, māra kai, festivals and celebrations that have come into bloom these past months. We acknowledge the events that took place throughout the motu for Waitangi day and those who are no doubt enjoying watching Te Matatini 2025! Koutou mā ka tū ki te papa tūwaewae, e poho kererū ana!

We also acknowledge the challenging times, in Aotearoa and abroad. Here in Aotearoa, we see the influx of Bills being passed by our Government which breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which comprises and degrades Papatūānuku and her children, which marginalises the poor and targets communities which make up our whānau. We acknowledge the efforts we are putting in to have our voices heard including those who submitted their opposition to the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and other Bills before the Select Committee.

We acknowledge our whanaunga abroad. To iwi taketake, to Indigenous nations who are facing colonial violence, who are experiencing genocide and aparteid. To Indigenous communities globally whose lands are being bombed, mined, stolen, and extracted from, our struggle for freedom, for mana motuhake, is connected with yours, as is our solidarity. E tangi ana te ngakau ki ēnei tūkinotanga, me tū kotahi ai tātou!

As we move through 2025, we want to take a moment to reflect, to share our kaupapa, and to keep you informed about what’s happening in our iwi.

In this pānui:

Inaugural Wānanga Series: He Korowai Aroha
National Iwi Chairs Forum
Celebrating Waitangi Day 2025
Kaimahi hou
Upcoming dates

Inaugural Wānanga Series for wāhine of Ngāti Pāoa

Te Korowai Aroha is a wānanga series which E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services are running in collaboration with Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust.

Co-designed by our wāhine, facilitated by Herearoha Skipper and Paerau Forbes, this wānanga series was created for the wāhine of Ngāti Pāoa, with the intention of fostering spaces where uri of Ngāti Pāoa can reconnect and revitalize pre-colonial practices surrounding wāhinetanga. Throughout this haerenga, we have engaged with Pāoa wāhine, drawing on their insights alongside extensive research, hui, and wānanga to bring this kaupapa to life.

February marked a significant milestone with the launch of our first wānanga. Held at Tāmaki College’s Te Poho o Tāmaki Marae, we were honored to host guest speaker Hana Tapiata, who shared her insights on Atua Wāhine. Hana reminded us to stay curious, ask questions, consider all perspectives, and remain teachable.

The day was filled with whanaungatanga, mātauranga, and delicious kai. The remaining five wānanga will take place over the next five months and focus on te whare tangata, te taka o te marama, karanga, and more. One of our participants, Madison-Rei Willinson (Ngāti Hura) shares her reflection from the wānanga:

Te Korowai Aroha provides a space for reconnection—to self, to whakapapa, to whānau, and to Pāoatanga. As we progress through our series of wānanga, I envision a journey where we will awaken, recognise, and harness the strengths that already exist within us as wāhine Māori.

This current series of wānanga is currently full. Due to the high demand weare seeking funding to hold another series of these wānanga. Your patience and interest is appreciated. Please reach out to Paerau at paerau@paoa.co.nz to express your interest.

National Iwi Chairs Forum

The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) was held in Te Tai Tokerau this year, gathered at Waitangi from 2-4 of February and hosted by Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa. Iwi get an opportunity to host the iwi chairs event and each hui has been exceptional in their manaakitanga and managing a symposium and two full day hui with 84 iwi chairs.

Ngāti Pāoa joined our first hui in Feb 2024 and have attended all five hui from Te Taitokerau, Tauranga, Kahungunu, Tāmaki, and Waitangi. It is important to engage with other Ngāti Pāoa whānau that also hold leadership roles for their other iwi, so we get to have additional insight to the projects they’re leading.

This forum reaffirmed our commitment to mana motuhake, collective economic strength, andwhānau wellbeing while challenging us to improve financial sustainability and iwi governance. What we have learnt is what you put in, is what you get out of these forums, so we have participated indifferent ‘Pou’ or ‘Iwi Leadership Groups’ (ILG) for the moana, local government reforms, mātauranga, climate, social investment, and housing.

The primary discussions around the table at the NICF included:

Putting whānau first, Te Ora o Te Whānau, is a strategic push to reduce child poverty and empower whānau through targeted investment;
A self-determined Māori economic strategy – iwi leaders emphasised the urgent need to lead our own economic growth, rather than waiting for the government led-plans;
Strengthening governance – reviewing membership & amp;Post Settlement Governance Entities representation was highlighted to consider how Post Settlement Governance Entities fit within NICF structures;
Climate and environmental protection – iwi reinforced our collective responsibility to lead environmental sustainability efforts;
Financial sustainability through funding the future – with hosting costs rising, leaders debated how to financially sustain NICF while keeping access equitable.

The next NICF will be hosted by Te Tairāwhiti in July, followed by Waikato-Tainui in November 2025.

Celebrating Waitangi Day 2025: Honouring Our Past and Embracing Our Future

Ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi tērā, e whakaū ana i te mana me te rangatiratanga o ngā hapū o te iwi Māori. Ko tēnei mana nō tuawhakarere. Ahakoa ngā aupēhi, me ngā whakaparahako a tēnā, a tēnā, ko te hiahia o ō tātou tūpuna kia whakapūmau ai te mana o ā rātou uri whakaheke.

E Tipu E Rea Whānau Sevices and Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust hosted the Waitangi Day 2025 celebrations on Ngāti Pāoa whenua in Ōmaru (Pt England), a powerful testament to our unity as iwi, hapū, and communities. We took the stage with pride, featuring one of our very own rangatahi, Kaitiaki Hawke, who officiated the opening of the event alongside local intergenerational Ngāti Pāoa whānau.

We celebrated with whānau from near and far, including those who traveled from outside Tāmaki. The day was filled with activities such as kōwhatu painting, a colouring-in station for our tamariki, and moko stencils to embrace our Māori identity. E Tipu E Rea also gave away prizes based on whānau engagement. Ngāti Pāoa proudly stood as mana whenua, with Kerrin Leoni (Ngāti Pāoa) officially opening the Waitangi festivities in the lead-up to this year’s Tāmaki mayoral election.

This day was more than just memorable—it deeply connected those present through aroha, whanaungatanga, wairuatanga, and manaakitanga.