Iwi quietly donating to marae and hapū affected by Cyclone Gabrielle

Tuesday, 21 February 2023

From all corners of Aotearoa, iwi are offering what help they can as marae, hapū and whānau recover from Cyclone Gabrielle. At Takitimu Marae, Wairoa, children help with the clean-up.

Iwi from across Aotearoa are quietly supporting Māori communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, in one case to the tune of $1 million.

In an email to members last week, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu announced their million-dollar commitment to whānau, hapū, iwi and marae most affected by the devasation.

“We certainly know what it is like to try and rebuild after devastation, so now it is time to repay the generosity that was shown to us following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes.

“Supporting all our whānau and friends in Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island) will be an enormous task, which will continue for months and potentially years.”

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The money from Ngāi Tahu would be allocated based on need and not specific to any one particular iwi, the email said.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has started the year in Parliament with a focus on the recovery to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Stuff understands a number of iwi and the Kīngitanga have donated, but it has been quiet that none have been willing to take credit for.

Not taking credit for putting others before oneself is a practice in humility that is important in te ao Māori.

There is a whakataukī, or Māori proverb, which explains “the kumara does not brag about its own sweetness”.

Rebuilding damaged marae will be of critical imporance, particularly for Māori in rural areas.

Hūhana Lyndon, Raukura chief executive of the Ngātiwai Trust Board, which represents 14 Northland marae, wrote last week that marae were sometimes the only community building in rural communities.

They were often volunteer-run and struggled to keep the lights on.

Despite a lack of resources, during the cyclone their doors were open to anyone who needed a dry bed and a drink, Lyndon said.

Emergency responders have been encouraging financial donations instead of physical goods to spare them from the logistics of transporting and distributing them.