Iwi group makes sure no whānau left behind in emergency response

Thursday, 16 April 2020

The eight iwi of Te Tauihu have joined forces to support the local top of the South Civil Defence coronavirus response and ensure that whānau do not fall through the cracks.

Each of the iwi have staff in Civil Defence Emergency Management response teams in Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough working on the wider response, as well as staff working to support whānau directly.

General Manager of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia Dave Johnston, said it was 'natural' for the iwi to work together in such times.

Johnston is the Te Tauihu (Top of the South) iwi lead communications within the pan-iwi CDEM grouping, known as Rōpū Kōkiri-ā-Iwi.

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'It's natural for us to draw on what those values that underpin Te Ao Māori – working collectively. It's about whakawhānaungatanga, it's about manaakitanga,' he said.

'The key thing for me, it's about he waka eke noa: we are all in this together.'

The Koi Boys, Danny Faifai (left) with Nuz Ngatai and Kevin Keepa, performed in last year's Picton Maritime Festival.

He said a major part of the work was making sure key messages were reaching whānau through the 'radio noise'. To that end, the Rōpū Kōkiri-ā-Iwi group called on whanaunga (relation) Danny Faifai, of the Gold Coast-based The Koi Boys, to help with a waiata for whānau.

Faifai obliged, sending a video message in the form of a cover song: Prince Tui Teka's song 'Oh Mum'.

'Danny's message has really shown us what's important in all of this, life: it's relationships, connection,' Johnston said.

'About 40 per cent of our iwi are outside the South Island, they're in the North Island or overseas … but we're still connected and Danny's beautiful waiata helps us remind people of that.

Faifai sad it was 'humbling' to be approached by the iwi for the song.

'I'm sitting here in my living room in Australia thinking about whānau far and wide and hoping that everyone is taking care of each other in this crazy time,' he said in his video message.

Johnston said Faifai was the 'obvious choice' to spread a message to whānau at home and abroad, with whakapapa ties to three of the Te Tauihu iwi (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō) as well as ancestry with Ngāi Tahu in the south and Ngāti Takihiku, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Haumia ki Paekakariki in the north.

He said the waiata was 'a way of sharing aroha'.

'We're just really honoured that he was able to give us that.'

The iwi of Te Tauihu are Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira ki Wairau and Te Ātiawa o te Waka-ā-Māui.