Me Karakia
Kia whaikorōria ki te Matua nui i te Rangi, he maungārongo ki runga i te mata o te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa. Tihe Mauri Ora!
Tēnā koutou e te hunga matakitaki, no ngā hau e wha. Tēnā tātou me ō tātou tini mate. Nau Mai, nau mai, haere mai.
Kia ora anō tātou katoa
Prior to 1989 a number of local hapu of Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga and Iwi including Rangitane and Muaupoko came together to establish the Raukawa District Maori Council as the local chapter of the NZ Maori Council. However, in the late 1980s and with the passing of the 1989 Runanga Iwi Act, Whatarangi Winiata embarked on a mission to establish a Runanga. His initial view was that the Runanga would comprise representatives from the Raukawa District Maori Council, the Otaki Maori Racing Club, and Rangiatea.
That arrangement would have made it possible for the Runanga to reflect community as well as multiple iwi. But that composition was later discarded for a Runanga that focused on the hapu of Ngati Raukawa, as well as other Iwi including Ngati Kauwhata, Ngati Wehiwehi, Ngati Tukorehe, and Ngati Toa.
The Runanga Iwi Act had presented a new framework for devolution. For the first time this legislation recognised that legally incorporated Runanga could become the administrative wings of respective tribes throughout Aotearoa. Thus Te Rūnanga o Raukawa Incorporated Society was formed.
The founding members of the Rūnanga were Te Maharanui Jacob (secretary), Mason Durie (chairman), Kawa Kereama, Ngawini Kuiti, Ani Parata, Whata Winiata, Frances Winiata, Turoa Royal, Whatakaraka Davis, Yvonne Wehipeihana Wilson, Margaret Davis, Maui Pomare, Hohipua Cook, Rupene Waka, Peter Richardson and Te Iwa Clifton.
At that time a minimum of 15 people were required to establish an Incorporated Society. Although charitable in nature, there was provision also for commercial activities which could be taxed at a lesser and more attractive Maori Authority tax rate. Originally 23 of the current 25 Iwi and hapu were enlisted as hapu nominators, with a further two being added with Ngāti Tukorehe in 1993 and Ngāti Hikitanga in 2010. Ngāti Toa chose not to become a member.
The constitution of Te Rūnanga o Raukawa Incorporated still has the same first objective: Being to conserve, promote, advance and assist whanau, hapu and iwi of Tainui Iwi who are tangata whenua in the rohe, popularly known as ‘Mai i Waitapu ki Rangataua, Mai i Miria te Kākara ki Kukutauaki.’
Venue: Ngātokowaru Marae
580 Hokio Beach Road
N.B.: There will be no Zoom access.
© Copyright Te Runanga O Raukawa 2023