‘I am Whakatōhea’
This settlement is an opportunity for our iwi, hapū and whānau to reconnect. It’s an important time to reflect on your own journey and what it means to you to be Whakatōhea.
We’re celebrating and sharing the lives and achievements of our people – wherever they are in the world! You can read their stories below.
“I’d like to see re-connections, especially our young ones. There’s a lot to be proud of." #IAMWhakatōhea #proud”
Posted by Whakatohea Pre Settlement Claims Trust on Monday, September 11, 2017
Get involved – we’d love to see whānau share their Whakatōhea stories on social media. Use the #IAMWhakatōhea hashtag and we’ll feature some of your stories on this page!
Can we share your story? Send your picture and words about yourself, your dreams, achievements and aspirations, and where you live to gina.smith@whakatohea.co.nz
View our series of #IAmWhakatōhea videos here.
Ranginui Walker, Ngāti Patumoana, Waiaua Marae, 1932-2016
In October 2003, Ranginui Walker wrote one of his most powerful columns for the NZ Listener, titled “Dear Crown by Ranginui Walker: An Open Letter to Helen, Bill, Richard, Peter, Jeanette and Jim”. It followed his concern over the foreshore and seabed debate and begins:
“I have been here a thousand years. You arrived only yesterday.” And ends:
“You ask who am I? I am Te Whakatohea ki Opotiki”.
Click here to read the full letter
Kaumātua Aspirations
Click here to read the aspirations from our Kaumātua
I AM: Igniting Aspirations in Whakatōhea
A booklet has been developed that describes the dreams and aspirations of some of our Whakatōhea rangatahi. Celebrate some of our future leaders!
Ekea tō tāpuhipuhi e ngā rangatahi!
Bradie Paul
Ngā mihi to Bradie Paul for sending us her mihi – we’re delighted and proud to share it with you here.
We’d love to get mihi from all our Whakatōhea whānau – how about posting them to our Facebook page or to Instagram using the #IAMWhakatōhea tag?
Ko Maunga a rangi te maunga
Ko Otara te awa
Ko Te Iringa toku tipuna whare
Ko Whiripare toku wharekai
Ko Ngāti Ngāhere toku hapu
Ko Te Whakatōhea toku iwi
Ko Nukutere me Mataatua nga waka
Ko Ōpōtiki toku kainga
Ko Steve Paul toku papa
Ko Jan Paul nee Foley toku mama
Zonia Kurei, Ngāti Ira
Ko Zonia Kurei ahau
Ko Ngāti Ira toku Hapu
I grew up in Ōpōtiki but i now live in Auckland.
I am currently working as an Assistant Manager at Carls Jr.
Tarshar Williams, Ngāti Ngāhere, Ngāti Ira
Ko Tarshar Williams tōku ingoa
He uri ahau no Ngāti Ngāhere me Ngāti Ira
When I was younger I was moved around a bit but spent most of my life in Ōpōtiki.
I currently work at Terere Kohanga Reo as the kaiwhakahaere a Tari (admin).
Hēmi Pirihi, Ngā hapu katoa o Whakatōhea
Ko Hēmi Pirihi taku ingoa nō ngā hapu katoa ō Whakatōhea
My name is Hemi, I am from all hapu of Whakatohea
Tōku pāpara ko Te Uanga Pirihi, Whakatōhea tūturu.
My Father is Te Uanga Pirihi, originating from Whakatōhea
Hoani & Tarere (Kurei) Temepara, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Ira
Ko Tarere Temepara (nee Kurei) tōku ingoa, Ko Ngati Ira tōku Hapū.
He Kaimahi ahau ki Te Kohanga Reo o Te Whare Aroha O Te Humarie
Ko tōku wawata, hei tū he Wharekura mo to tātou Iwi o Te Whakatōhea, Kia whakaakohia ngā uri o Te Whakatōhea i tō tātou reo, tō tātou hitori me ō tātou pakiwaitara. Kia rangatira ai rātou ki roto i tenei ao, Kia kore hoki rātou e wareware ki tō tātou Ukaipo, ano hoki he uri rātou nō Te Whakatōhea.
Ko Hoani Terere Waipuke Temepara ahau (Temple) Ko Omarumutu te Marae, Ko Ngati-Rua te Hāpu and I grew up at Rahui.
Moana Edwardson, Ngai Tamahaua
My name is Moana Tinitia Edwardson (nee Farrar). My mother was born and raised in Te Whakatōhea, my grandparents also, and their ancestors’ before them. Te Whakatōhea, Ngai-Tamahaua, runs through my blood.
I was born in my father’s hometown of Tokoroa and at the age of 2 moved to Orima, 19km east of Te Kaha.
I lived here for majority of my childhood, enjoying the freedoms of spending majority of my childhood outdoors – swimming at our local swimming hole, fishing with my dad, diving with my brothers, collecting pinecones for the fire and helping to grow vegetables in my parent’s garden – learning a lot of vital skills a lot of people my age don’t have.
Mere Hata-Huata, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Ira
Pūkaeaea tohe nihorau
Kei te wānangananga i te pō
Kei te wānangananga i te ao
Nei ra ko te rau aroha e mihi atu nei
Ko Mere Te Rau Aroha Hata-Huata tōku ingoa
Ko ōku whenua taurikura kei runga o Omarumutu me Waioweka.
Sandee Ligavatu (nee Paruru), Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Patu
I te taha o tōku Pāpā
Ko Makeo te maunga
Ko Waiaua te awa
Ko Omarumutu te Marae
Ko Tutamure te whare tīpuna
Ko Hineikauia te whare manaaki
Ko Ngati Rua te hapū
Ko Whakatōhea te iwi
Ko Nukutere me Mataatua ngā waka
Jonnina Temepara, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Ira, Ngāti Ngahere, Ngai Tamahaua, Torere
Te tangata nānā i noho whakarua.
Ka rangaranga te muri.
Ka tūtū ngā tuatara o te tāmure.
Ko au, ko au tēnei.
Ko Tutāmure.
Ko Hoani Temepara me Te Iwi Ware Kurei ōku koroua.
Ko Harete Temepara me Rata Hira Kurei ōku kuia.
Ko Hoani rāua ko Tarere ōku Mātua.
Ko Jonnina Temepara toku ingoa.
Ko Tahliah Temepara toku tamahine.
Bonnie Taia, Ngāti Ngahere, Terere Marae
Ko Maungarangi te Maunga
Ko Otara te Awa
Ko Te Iringa te Whare Tīpuna
Ko Whiripare te Wharekai
Ko Terere te Marae
Ko Ngati Ngahere te Hāpu
Ko Mataatua te waka
Ko Te Whakatōhea te iwi
Ko Bonnie Taia tōku ingoa, Tihei Mauri Ora
Manaaki Denton Biddle Tai, Ngai Tamahaua, Ngāti Rua and Ngāti Ira
I was born and raised by the grace of God in little big Ōpōtiki. My current Mahi is a Utility for Compass Group working Fly in Fly out which means I do all sorts from housekeeping to admin, bartending to kitchen hand and more.
My aspiration for Te Whakatōhea is for our people to care more for our tamariki…
Phil Baker, Ngāti Patumoana, Waiaua Marae
Kia ora Cuzzies!
Ko Phil Baker ahau
Kei Ōtautahi ahau
Ko Ngāti Patumoana te hapū
Ko Waiaua te marae
I have grown up in the Canterbury rohe and live here still, although it is my dream to move up to Ōpōtiki in the near future to learn more te reo and better connect with my whanaunga.
Emerald Mary Muriwai McPhee, Ngāti Ira, Ngai Tamahaua
Kia ora Whakatōhea whānau,
My name is Emerald Mary Muriwai McPhee. My dad grew up in Ōpōtiki and has lived most of his life up here in Auckland. We are from Ngāti Ira and Ngai Tamahaua on my dad’s side. On my mum’s side, we are Irish/Pākehā. I have two sisters, Esme and Angie and two nephews, Izrael and Hendrix.
I grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), spending most of my life in West Auckland and visiting Ōpōtiki for the first time just after leaving high school. Growing up as an urban Māori I had limited opportunities to explore my māoritanga at school although I sporadically participated in kapa haka, learned waiata and slowly put together the puzzle pieces of my whakapapa.
Lynda Williams, Ngāti Ira, Omarumutu Marae
My name is Lynda Williams and I live in Ōpōtiki
Ko Ngāti Rua tōku hapū
Ko Omarumutu tōku Marae
We came home from Palmerston North to Ōpōtiki about 18 months ago, because we wanted our kids to be “Connected”, know their roots and the place they’re from. I’ve had to work really hard to find a job in Ōpōtiki and completed some of the Pathways to Work programmes that Whakatōhea run, and now I am employed full time, which is a “Dream come True”.
The employment situation has been much harder for my partner. He’s a hard worker and he’s good at what he does, but there just aren’t the jobs yet. Every season he works in the kiwifruit industry, and he puts in the hours and gets as much overtime as he can. But the work only lasts six months, and after that we’re back to being a one income household.
Mitchell Walker, Ngāti Patumoana, Waiaua Marae
My name is Mitchel
l Walker and I live in Wellington
Ko Ngāti Patumoana tōku hapū
Ko Waiaua tōku Marae
Born in Tauranga and raised in Kirikiriroa, I was privileged to have grown up within a bilingual whanau, with close ties to our Iwi and a strong understanding of Te Ao Māori. I didn’t think much of it during my younger years but in hindsight this environment heavily influenced my outlook on the world and provided me with a strong sense of identity.
Jared and Chad Tuoro, Ngāti Ngāhere, Terere Marae
Kia Ora Whakatōhea Whānau
We are twin brothers Jared and Chad Tuoro. Our Father is Maurice Tuoro, and Mother is Arihia Carrington. We are all on the Whakatōhea Tribal Database and have all joined the Whakatōhea Pre Settlement Claims Trust Email Tree to be “Connected” with our “Global Whanau”.
We grew up in Ōpōtiki in the early 90’s living on King Street with our parents and grandparents while attending Ōpōtiki Primary School.
Like many kids growing up during this time we have fond memories of playing rugby in bare feet, swimming all day either in the river or the beach, and hours playing with neighbors and friends until sunset. This upbringing is something we both strive to have for our young families and always look forward to holiday time back in Ōpōtiki during the summer time.
Bex Walker, Ngāti Patumoana, Waiaua Marae
Kia ora Whakatōhea whānau. My name is Bex Walker. My family shifted from Canterbury to Ōpōtiki in 1994. Our mother wanted us all to experience life with our whānau. I attended St Joseph’s Primary School and then Ōpōtiki College.
My career began after I was awarded a 33 day scholarship when I was at Ōpōtiki College to attend Outward bound in Anakiwa. I decided the outdoors was meant for me so I completed a 3 year double diploma in Outdoor Education teaching and learning at Aoraki Polytechnic. I then moved to Australia where I worked for the Outdoor Education Group and became a specialist instructor in white water rafting. I managed a rafting company for two summers in British Columbia Canada.
I returned to Australia and not long after joined Victoria Police where I completed a Diploma in Policing. I am now in a specialist role currently at the Highway Patrol unit where my job is to investigate anything to do with Road Policing including all road trauma related incidents.
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