Te Whanake - Our Blog
A journey through 22 years of our hui ā-tau
Every year we come together for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of our hapū in Motueka. We address the governance requirements of our entity while also rekindling relationships and celebrating our identity as the mana whenua hapū of Motueka.
It began in 1994
22 years ago on 1 April 1994 we held the first AGM, a very significant and meaningful day to us all. It was a day where together we could recognise our ancestors’ 140 year struggle to have the Whakarewa lands returned to us, and begin our journey forward as the rightful guardians of the whenua.
“Our ancestors have been fighting for a long time to get it back and we finally [did]” - Kopa Stafford
The hui ā-tau, held over Easter weekend, began with the AGM formalities and then moved into more fun filled activities like a tour of the rohe and a golf tournament.
You can watch a short clip of the hui here or watch the full video below.
A 20 year milestone
In 2013 we celebrated again at our 20 year anniversary. Another milestone reached – and another opportunity to bring the whānau and hapū home for a weekend to reconnect with each other and the land.
At this particular hui we also launched a new brand – Ohu Maatu, which represents that together as a hapū we grow stronger. The Ohu Maatu brand tells the story of the hardship and battles of the 140 years leading to the inaugural 1994 hui – this can be seen as the scars upon the intertwined trees of the Ohu Maatu logo.
Since 2013 Ohu Maatu has been a closer reflection of the AGM held 20 years prior.
Above: The 1st and the 20th rohe tour
Watch a video of our 20 year celebration on Maori Television here.
The next 20 years
Every year since that meaningful day in April 1994, we have gathered at Te Āwhina Marae to discuss the Trust’s finances, provide an overview of activities for the year, appoint our representatives – the Trustees, and to retell the kōrero of our history to ensure it is never forgotten.
Next year is no different – we will select new representatives to replace any outgoing Trustees, who will drive the direction and develop solutions to our strategic objectives, and explore the whenua together while sharing stories to remind us of how we got here today.
There is one change however for future Ohu Maatu, and that is the date.
As the dates of Easter vary from year to year (e.g. from mid March to late April) and ANZAC Day is a fixed date (not necessarily on a weekend) the timing is inconsistent and provides several challenges for completing reporting requirements and organisation of the event.
Considering these factors the Board have reviewed the event timing and agreed to hold the hui ā-tau on the last weekend of April each year (like this year’s Ohu Maatu), meaning next year it will be held 28 – 30 April 2017.
For some this may prove difficult to attend due to it not always falling on a long weekend – and because of this we will be looking into options to extend the AGM from Te Āwhina to also be online via a live webcast.
We’ll be sending our pānui Eke Pānuku out to all our members with more detail about Ohu Maatu 2017, including the positions on the Trust’s Board that are open for nominations.
John Charleton
Chief Operating Officer