He kupu nā te Heamana:
Nei rā aku mihi ki a koutou,
As we approach another important chapter in our iwi journey, I acknowledge the strength of our people, our collective aspirations, and our responsibility to shape the future of Ngāti Pāoa.
Last week, we held our Meet the Candidates hui, providing whānau an opportunity to hear from those standing for election to the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust. I sincerely acknowledge all candidates who have put themselves forward to serve our iwi. Governance requires commitment and a willingness to carry the aspirations of our people.
To our whānau, I encourage you to vote. Our iwi elections are an expression of rangatiratanga, determining who will represent our interests, protect our Treaty settlement assets and advance our aspirations. Voting closes on 13 November 2026. Every vote matters.
At a national level, we are also approaching a significant general election. Government decisions directly affect our whenua, moana, reo, tikanga and the wellbeing of our whānau. We must continue to hold political leaders accountable for their commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and scrutinise policies that affect Māori rights and tino rangatiratanga. I encourage whānau to consider carefully the direction they want for Aotearoa and the future we leave our mokopuna. Our collective voice is powerful, and exercising our democratic rights is one way we can influence that future.
Ngāti Pāoa has worked too hard to secure recognition of our rights and interests for our voice to be diminished. Our future must remain grounded in whakapapa, tikanga and mana motuhake. Ensure our whānau are enrolled to vote.
Kia kaha tātou ki te pōti.
He kupu nā Te Amokura:
Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
Our kaimahi are bringing Te Huanui Taurikura to life with mahi we hope our whānau can see and feel. That means scholarships for our tauira, new employment opportunities for our people, and housing opportunities so more whānau can live well and close to home. We're building something special, for you and for our mokopuna.
The past few weeks have been full of highlights. We held interviews with architects for Pāoa Whanake Marae, a big step towards creating a place for our people to gather and grow.
We're proud to celebrate Pāoa excellence. Te Kōpua o Hiku, the bridge across the Panmure Basin, carries a name gifted by Ngāti Pāoa and tells the story of Moko-ika-hiku-waru, our taniwha. This year it won a Gold Award for Lighting Design at the 2026 Best Design Awards. If you know of whānau doing amazing things, please tell us so we can celebrate them too.
Upcoming Events
We appreciate all the thoughtful pātai sent through for our trustees to consider in the meet the candidates evening. If you missed the event, and want to catch up, see the recording in the link below.
Rangatahi Advisory: Ngā Pou Whanake
Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust are excited to launch Ngā Pou Whanake, a rangatahi capability programme which provides specialised training, mentoring and practical exposure to governance, leadership and strategic decision-making.
Expressions of interest will be open next month, kia mau tonu mai!
Acknowledgements | He Mihi
We would like to acknowledge Tukere Wiremu Thompson (Ngāti Kapu, Ngāti Hura, Uri a Haupā, Ngāti Horowhenua, Ngāti Tauru), who received sponsorship from the Trust to complete his PRINCE2 Foundation certification and has now successfully attained this qualification.Tukere shares that he developed an early passion for construction while attending Hauraki Plains College. He pursued this passion after returning to New Zealand and completing an apprenticeship with a commercial construction firm.After six years in commercial construction, developing leadership skills and technical knowledge in large-scale building projects, he chose to broaden his experience in residential construction over a further two to three years. During this time, he became a Licensed Building Practitioner and eventually established his own business.He shares that his first project was at Wharekawa Marae, where he built the deck area in front of Muri Aroha while retaining the original foundation to support the new development.He acknowledges the Wharekawa Marae Trust Boards and whānau for supporting his proposals and helping protect our taonga, as well as his father, Puhi, for his unwavering support. He also acknowledges those who have supported his ongoing aspirations in project management.Ka rawe hoki āu mahi, Tukere!
Partnered Opportunities
We receive many different opportunities from our partners and encourage whānau to keep checking our online dashboard promoting these opportunities. See here
Training Programme for Rangatahi
Calling all rangatahi aged 16-24 who are not currently in education, employment or training!
If you're not sure what you want to do next, Te Ara Poutama can help you get there.
Whether you’re looking to get a job, start a course, explore your options or build your confidence, we’ll work alongside you to help you get there!
What you can expect:
A programme of up to 26 weeks
Around 15 hours of support and activities each week
Practical life, work and study skills
Support to explore your interests, goals and career options
Help to build your confidence and get work or study-ready
Support to move into employment, education or training
Ongoing support after the programme to help you settle in and make sure things are going well
Rēhita mai! - https://wkf.ms/4geqvy1
We are wanting to encourage more whānau, hapū and iwi stories so please reach out to hinerangi@paoa.co.nz if you have a story you want shared
