from Matt Matamua
Kaumatua, Careerforce
Kia ora tatou e te whānau whanui o Te Toi Pukenga,
Kei te mihi mo te tau hou e rere ana me te manaakitanga o te Atua kei runga ki tene ki tēnā.
Greetings for the New Year and the blessings for you all.
Tuatahi e kore e warewaretia o a tatou whānau i whakapa ana i te pouritanga o Aitua.
Mihi atu, tangi atu, aroha atu, kaati
Let us not forget those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
Tatai whetu ki te rangi mau tonu, mau tonu
Tatai tangata ki te whenua ngaro noa, ngaro noa
The host of stars in the sky remain for ever
But man’s time on earth is but short
Heio ano I’m sure that you are all looking forward to your Waitangi Day holiday on Wednesday. There are many celebrations around Aotearoa and for many it is a chance to connect and relax with whānau. Last year a similar message was sent out to you all, reminding us what Waitangi Day is about, and for us to take a moment to reflect on Te Tiriti O Waitangi in our role and as a whānau of Te Toi Pukenga.
Officially, Waitangi Day is the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and has been celebrated as a public holiday in New Zealand on 6 February since 1960.
Te Tiriti O Waitangi is our nation’s Turangawaewae (standing place). Turangawaewae is a place where we feel especially empowered and connected. It is our foundation, our place in the world, our home. A key intent of the Treaty of Waitangi was to uphold relationships of mutual benefit between the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa (tangata whenua) and all those who had come, and were to come, to settle here (tangata tiriti).
Waitangi Day is a time to reflect learn and prepare as well as celebrate the unique contributions of both tangata whenua (people of the land) and tangata tiriti (people of the treaty) and our national identity. It provides an opportunity to consider greater awareness of cultural issues, encourages ourselves and others to become informed about New Zealand’s past and instil a sense of pride & belonging to this country that we share with a diverse range of other cultures.
For Te Toi Pukenga, our vision of “Improving the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders” clearly sits well within the spirit of the Treaty. Likewise, our values also guide Te Toi Pukenga towards our commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi. Kaitiakitanga (upholding responsibilities) helps us remain committed to benefitting the communities we serve and protecting the wellbeing of future generations. Kotahitanga (connecting people) supports our unity for our common vision and how everything we do is focused towards this goal. Manaakitanga (honouring others and ourselves) is the idea of caring, uplifting and supporting each other.
Te Tiriti O Waitangi is also very much about whanaungatanga (relationships) where power is shared. Talking about relationships makes talking about equity more possible but embracing relational change asks that we be open to the unknown. In order for us to play our part in restoring wellbeing equity for Māori, we need to support each other into the unknown.
Our commitment to the Treaty means that we want to respond appropriately to the needs of our Māori providers and trainees and the communities and clients that are supported by us. It is timely, that we take a look at our own Treaty Statement and that its wording and intent strongly supports our current activities and future direction, and enhancing our effectiveness in service provision for Māori. I am aware teams are having planning days a good opportunity to start this discussion.
In ending I also want to draw our thoughts to several other important events coming up during the year that again provide us an opportunity to strengthen our whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, kotahitanga and kaitiakitanga. Matariki which is celebrated in the month of June and of course Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is taking a lead in celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Māori and European encounter https://mch.govt.nz/tuia-encounters-250
No reira enjoy your Waitangi Day
Mā te whakatu, ka mohio
Ngā mihi mahana
Matt