Ngā mihi o te wā ki a koutou katoa.
As you can see by my photo that it is getting closer to Christmas! So I thought I'd get in the Festive spirit also.
More importantly however we have the newest edition of Aroha ki te Tangata - Raumati, our reformatted quarterly newsletter which profiles the fantastic work that Māori Wardens continue to do in our rural and urban communities and beyond the marae gates.
Published: Wednesday, 16 December 2015 | Rāapa, 16 Hakihea, 2015
Looking back on the past 12 months it has been a long, arduous and industrious year. We’ve had intense wānanga, with some really successful outcomes, and laid the foundation for a productive year ahead.
On reflection it’s appropriate to remember those who are no longer within the realm of the living. There are far too many to remember each and everyone in this pānui, but I would like to acknowledge that there have been many this year.
In this pānui we profile the work of the Māori Wardens across the motu, we have stories from as far down as the deep south of Invercargill right through to Whāngārei in the winterless north.
The one theme that is obvious across all of these stories is the way that the values of rangimārie (peace), manaaki (kindness), kōrero (talking), whakaiti (humility), tautoko (support) and pono (honesty) feature prominently in the work of the Māori Wardens.
It’s these values that set the Māori Wardens apart from any other Māori organisation across the motu; and it’s these values that ensure the long-term sustainability of the Wardens as an institution.
So a huge mihi to you all who feature in this pānui, it is well deserved and I really look forward to seeing more of your stories featured next year.
From the Te Puni Kōkiri Māori Wardens Project Team we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a very restful and safe break over the holiday period. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa,
Nāku noa, nā
Te Rau Clarke
Manager – Māori Wardens Project