Tā Tipene O’Regan, in his evidence to Environment Canterbury in 2014, made the following statements.
“Riki [Ellison] was very generous to my generation both in his time and support. He was an important source of knowledge of both traditions and natural history. If you were in the car with him he would stop at a seemingly unimportant bridge, creek or stream. He would fetch from his car boot, a wool sack and a small tarpaulin, remove his trousers, and wrap the wool sack around himself and walk into the creek. The kanakana would attach themselves to the sacking.”
“I was anxious about the knowledge that Riki was continually talking about while we were walking and travelling around and on Te Waihora. I feared that it might too easily be lost as he was not a well man, and that was why I was recording him. We got Riki to draw up a map of Te Waihora locating the traditional settlements and food gathering sites, which we used as part of the Ngāi Tahu Claim to the Waitangi Tribunal.”
Ngā Kōrero o Neherā is an opportunity for us to hear first-hand these narratives plus many more that talk about our ancestors and our place. Many of us know Tā Tipene. We know he has been at the leading edge of many of our significant achievements both as an iwi and as individual hapū. We know him as Tā Tipene the negotiator, the scholar, the teacher, the historian and the chairman. Now we get the opportunity to get to know him as the young man who walked beside our uncles, aunties and grandparents. Ngā Kōrero o Neherā, the stories of yesteryear, is a chance for Tā Tipene to share his experiences and his insights into Taumutu and the wealth of knowledge our kaumātua shared with him.
Please join us at the marae on Sunday 23 February 2020, at 10am. Bring a kai to share with the whānau.
This wānanga is part of the Te Whare Wānanga o Te Ruahikihiki, a series of wānanga supported by pūtea from Ngāi Tahu Fund.
For more information please contact Puamiria on puamiria.parata-goodall@ngaitahu.iwi.nz or on 021 233 1000.