Nā Hora Kairangi Nicholas tēnei atikara.
Three of Ngāi Tahu's most influential leaders have been recognised in the presence of iwi from across Aotearoa, receiving one of the highest honours presented at the National Iwi Chairs Forum.
Tā Tipene O'Regan, Edward Ellison and Gail Tipa were honoured with Te Whare Pūkenga awards at the forum in Tāhuna (Queenstown) last week, acknowledging decades of leadership in iwi development, environmental stewardship, Treaty settlement negotiations and the advancement of te ao Māori.
Established in 2021, the awards recognise Māori leaders during their lifetime, allowing iwi to honour those whose contributions continue to shape their people and the wider Māori landscape.
For Te Whare Pūkenga MC, Dr Hana O'Regan, that principle is what makes the awards especially significant.
"No matou te whiwhi kua tapaina enei tohu ki ruka i te tokotoru o matou ka uri o tahu potiki i roto i tenei te whare pukenga."
Speaking after the ceremony, O'Regan said the recognition carried particular meaning for her father, Tā Tipene, whose public appearances have become increasingly rare. She said despite his declining health and the challenges of winter travel, attending the ceremony mattered because of the people gathered in the room.
"I te wā e mātaki atu ana ia i kā torakapu, kā tāmitaka i ruka i a tātou. Te kino hoki o te karawhiu o tēnei kāwanatanga o kā take Māori, kā take i whawhaitia e ia me tāna rahi i roto i kā tau."
O'Regan said the timing of the awards was also significant as Māori leaders continue to respond to Government policies affecting Māori rights and interests.
"Na reira tāna mamae, na reira i tēnei rā he mea nui tana tū ki mua i te iwi nei kia tuku i tana tautoko ki a rātou e whawhai tonu ana i aua whawhai."
Edward Ellison said receiving recognition from fellow iwi leaders carried a different weight than many other honours.
"To be associated with the hunga whiwhi whakanui... that was quite an honour to be honest."
Ellison said the award also reflected the collective journey Ngāi Tahu has taken since its Treaty settlement.
"We've paved our way into those roles, particularly over the last 30 or 40 years. The Treaty re-emerged and there was the opportunity to take our role as kaitiaki rangatira within our environment for our people and communities."
While significant progress had been made, he said the work was far from over.
"We haven't turned the tide. There are challenges going forward, both environmentally and socially with our current Government. It makes it so much more important for us to remain close to the kaupapa and enable the next generations to continue that mahi."
Ellison said Ngāi Tahu was now in one of its strongest positions since settlement, having strengthened its role within its own takiwā and on the national stage.
"I think we're as well positioned as we've ever been to continue that work."
Although Gail Tipa was unable to attend the ceremony, she was recognised alongside O'Regan and Ellison for her contribution to Ngāi Tahu and te ao Māori and extended her gratitude for the acknowledgements.
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Kua tau te mihi a Te Kāhui Rangatira o Te Motu ki ngā pou rangatira tokotoru o Ngāi Tahu, ki a Tā Tipene O’Regan, ki a Edward Ellison me Gail Tipa, mō ā rātou mahi kua roa e kawe ana i ngā kaupapa mō te iwi, mō te taiao me te ao Māori.
I te hui a Te Kāhui Rangatira o Te Motu ki Tāhuna i tērā wiki, ka tukuna ngā tohu o Te Whare Pūkenga ki ēnei rangatira ki te whakamanawa i te ara kua takahia e rātou, me ngā mahi kua waiho hei taonga mō ngā whakatupuranga kei te heke mai.
Ehara a Te Whare Pūkenga i te tohu noa iho, engari he wā hoki e tū ai ngā iwi ki te tuku mihi ki te hunga kua roa e amo ana i ngā kaupapa, e tiaki ana i te mana o ō rātou iwi, ā, e whakakaha ana i te tū Māori ki te motu. I whakatūria Te Whare Pūkenga i te tau 2021 e Te Kāhui Rangatira o Te Motu hei wāhi whakanui i ngā rangatira Māori e ora tonu ana, kia rongo ai rātou i te mihi me te aroha o ngā iwi mō ngā mahi kua oti i a rātou.
E ai ki tētahi o ngā kaiwhakataki o Te Whare Pūkenga, ki a Tākuta Hana O’Regan, he mea nui tēnei wā ki a Ngāi Tahu, nā te mea ka taea e te iwi te tuku mihi ki ētahi o ōna uri kua roa e kawe ana i ngā taumahatanga.
"No matou te whiwhi kua tapaina enei tohu ki ruka i te tokotoru o matou ka uri o tahu potiki i roto i tenei te whare pukenga."
Ko te taenga mai o Tā Tipene O’Regan tētahi wā whakahirahira mō tōna whānau me ngā iwi i reira. Ahakoa te taumaha o ngā tau kua pahure me te uaua o te haere, i tae mai ia ki te noho ki waenganui i ngā mana o te motu. Hei tā Hana, he mea nui ki a ia te kite i tōna pāpā e tū tonu ana ki te tautoko i ngā rangatira me ngā kaupapa e kawea tonutia ana.
"I te wā e mātaki atu ana ia i kā torakapu, kā tāmitaka i ruka i a tātou. Te kino hoki o te karawhiu o tēnei kāwanatanga o kā take Māori, kā take i whawhaitia e ia me tāna rahi i roto i kā tau."
Hei tāna, ko te tū a Tā Tipene ki mua i te iwi i taua rā he tohu tautoko mō te hunga e kawe tonu ana i ngā pakanga me ngā kaupapa kua roa e whāia ana.
"Na reira tāna mamae, na reira i tēnei rā he mea nui tana tū ki mua i te iwi nei kia tuku i tana tautoko ki a rātou e whawhai tonu ana i aua whawhai."
Mō Edward Ellison, he mana motuhake tō te whiwhi whakanuinga mai i ngā iwi ake.
"To be associated with the hunga whiwhi whakanui... that was quite an honour to be honest."
Hei tā Ellison, e whakaatu ana tēnei tohu i te haerenga roa o Ngāi Tahu mai i te wā o te whakataunga Tiriti, me te tūnga kua whai ai te iwi hei kaitiaki mō ōna whenua, mō ōna tāngata me ōna hapori.
"We've paved our way into those roles, particularly over the last 30 or 40 years. The Treaty re-emerged and there was the opportunity to take our role as kaitiaki rangatira within our environment for our people and communities."
Ahakoa ngā tutukitanga kua puta, e ai ki a Ellison, kei te haere tonu te mahi.
"We haven't turned the tide. There are challenges going forward, both environmentally and socially with our current Government. It makes it so much more important for us to remain close to the kaupapa and enable the next generations to continue that mahi."
Hei tā Ellison, kua kaha ake te tū o Ngāi Tahu i ngā tau mai i te whakataunga Tiriti, kua whakakaha ake hoki i tōna mana ki roto i ōna takiwā me te motu whānui.
"I think we're as well positioned as we've ever been to continue that work."
Ahakoa kāore a Gail Tipa i tae atu ki Tāhuna mō te hui, i whakanuia tonutia ia i te taha o Tā Tipene rāua ko Edward mō āna mahi me āna tākoha ki a Ngāi Tahu me te ao Māori, ā, kua tukuna hoki e ia tana mihi mō taua tohu.