Our Owners

Being registered with the Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust means more than just being a name on a list. It’s a sense of belonging, opportunity to access benefits like scholarships and grants, being part of the kōrero around how we work and our (the Trust’s) role in your story.

Every two months the Board gathers for a hui, where amongst other things, we review and approve applications for new registered members. For us to continue thriving as a people on our tūrangawaewae, we need to continue telling our story and continue our legacy, and that relies on an engaged next generation, and is why the growth of registered members is important to us.

So, who is an NRAIT owner and how do you become registered?

What do we mean by owner?
Being a registered owner means you have a shared ownership of the Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust and shared ownership of the land that we manage. As an owner, you have the opportunity to vote on what the Trust does with land and what it invests in. These opportunities to vote and have your say are at our Annual General Meetings held in Motueka each year in April.

Who is an owner?
The Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust represents a unique group of descendants from two iwi. Our owners whakapapa back to one or more of 94 Ngāti Rārua tūpuna and 15 Te Ātiawa tūpuna, recorded in 1845 by Land Commissioner William Spain. These ancestors are the original landowners of our Motueka homelands. As a Trust today, we own, manage and nurture these land holdings on behalf, and for the benefit of the hapū.

If you are Ngāti Rārua or Te Ātiawa manawhenua ki Motueka, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are an NRAIT owner.

This diagram shows the relationship between four key Te Tau Ihu iwi, and how they relate to NRAIT.

Whakapapa
To register as an NRAIT member you must have a direct lineal descent (by birth or adoption including either formal legal adoption or customary Māori adoption) from one of the original 94 Ngāti Rārua tūpuna or 15 Ātiawa tūpuna who had rightful ownership of the Whakarewa lands in Motueka. You can view the list of the 109 original owners here.

During your registration process, you will need to select one of the original 109 owners that you descend from. You need to show your father/mother, and then the line of descent from the original owner.

Once you’ve submitted your application to become a registered owner, we will process and verify your details. When your application has been approved, you will officially be a registered NRAIT owner. You can now use the Members Only area of our website and apply online for benefits, such as our education grants.

If you descend from one of the original 109 owners, and you haven’t yet registered, make sure you complete the registration to become an NRAIT owner. We also encourage you to reach out to your whānau if they’re not yet registered with the Trust to start their applications.

If you are not in the rohe yourself and want to engage and deepen your connection with the Trust you can connect with us on our Facebook page, or check out this blog on other ways you can engage and connect with the Motueka homelands. 

Learn more about the Trust and the work that we do here.