Our Owners

Ohu Maatu is a special and significant time of the year to remember our tūpuna, reconnect with whānau, learn and celebrate, and 2018 was no exception. It was a huge milestone for the Trust, celebrating a quarter century.

It was outstanding to see the support from the hapū from all across Aotearoa, who joined us for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Trust on 27 – 29 April in Motueka.

One of the great things about Ohu Maatu this year, was the variety of activities that our families participated in.

The weekend began with a pōwhiri at Te Āwhina Marae on Friday evening, followed by sharing kai together. We then enjoyed whakawhanaungatanga, where we could talk and connect with each other.

Early Saturday morning before the sun rose, we visited our lands at Te Kūmara on the coastline of Motueka, where we unveiled and blessed the newly installed interpretation panel. This panel shares the kōrero of the Trust, of Te Maatu, and our relationship with the whenua (land) as the mana whenua families of Motueka.

Hui-a-tau
The most important part of the weekend is the hui-ā-tau, where registered owners gather to address the governance requirements of the Trust. The AGM engaged us all in really important discussions about how we’ve performed as a Trust this year, and what is of most importance to our owners now and in the future.

We had a great turnout at this year’s AGM, and thank all of our owners for their input and sharing what matters to them.

Hākari (Gala dinner)
The gala dinner on Saturday evening was definitely a highlight of Ohu Maatu 2018. We celebrated the 25 year milestone, as well as reflect on the past 25 years as a Trust. It was also another opportunity during the weekend to catch up and reconnect with each other over great kai. 

Doug Kidd, the Minister of Māori Affairs, in 1993 who sponsored our bill 25 years ago, attended our gala dinner to help celebrate and commemorate the special occasion.

We were treated to a kapa haka performance from the tamariki that attended the wānanga workshop during Saturday, which was precious to see. Our children learning more about their culture, and embracing Te Reo is so important. Tom Alesana the kapahaka tutor, and his assistants Dayveen Stephens, Maihi Barber and Tania Corbett, did an amazing job teaching our tamariki.

A special mention to the chef, Travis Martin who donated his koha for his mahi to Te Āwhina Marae. Based on feedback from our owners, it was definitely a favourite part of the weekend.

“Thank you to everyone who helped bring to life the sensational weekend that was Ohu Maatu. Our whanau appreciate how much time and energy was put into it and are grateful for the many insights we can all take away from this kaupapa.”

 - NRAIT owner

Thank you again to all of those who joined us in Motueka, our homelands to celebrate, learn, and connect over this very special weekend. We enjoyed our time with you all, and were pleased to see so many new faces. Check out the video below wrapping up Ohu Maatu 2018.