2024 Tertiary Education Scholarships & Grants

2024 Tertiary Education Scholarships & Grants


Ngāti Awa is offering grants and scholarships that will soon be available to assist you in achieving your educational goals.

To take advantage of these opportunities, it’s essential that you are officially registered with Ngāti Awa. If you have any āwangawanga or pātai, our team is here to help.

You can reach out to us at (07) 307 0760 or drop us an email below:

Mark your calendars e te whānau. The application period for these grants and scholarships opens in February.
Kia tētere mai tō rēhita!

For more information about registering with Ngāti Awa visit www.ngatiawa.iwi.nz/register

Rāhui to Help Rejuvenate Mussels in Ōhiwa

Rāhui to Help Rejuvenate Mussels in Ōhiwa


Ngāti Awa kaitiaki have placed a rāhui on the taking of green lipped mussels from an area of Ōhiwa Harbour near the Port Ōhope boat ramp in a bid to help regenerate a newly restored mussel bed.

Mac Kingi and Charlie Bluett performed a karakia at Te Tuarae o Kanawa near the Port Ōhope Boat Ramp this Monday to enact the rāhui. Signs have been installed to inform people about the ban on taking mussels from the area.

Mr Bluett, who is also Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Customary Fisheries Officer, says the rāhui is in place to help the juvenile mussels to reach maturity.

“You can see the lines out by the buoys just off from the very end of Harbour Road. The mussels have been rejuvenated from an old traditional bed. There is one at that point, one closer to the mouth of harbour and another slightly further around on the other side.”

However, Mr Bluett says, the rāhui is part of a much bigger picture.

The work is part of an award-winning research project led by Ngāti Awa uri, Professor Kura Paul-Burke from the University of Waikato. The project was launched in 2019 by the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge with a focus to bring together mātauranga Māori and marine science to investigate pragmatic shellfish restoration action as it applies to the unique social, cultural and ecological context of Ōhiwa Harbour.

It was co-developed with hapū and iwi of Ōhiwa Harbour, including Ngāti Awa, and supported by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as well as the seven partners of the co-management group, Ōhiwa Harbour Implementation Forum.

Mrs Paul-Burke says: “If we can provide a little time for the new mussel population to grow to adults, we may be fortunate enough for our collective grandchildren to have a naturally regenerating food basket for their children into the future. It is our hope that the temporary closure will help us achieve that.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Chief Executive Reuben Araroa says: “the implementation of the cultural rāhui in Ohiwa Harbour represents our unwavering commitment as kaitiaki to safeguarding the ecological balance of our marine environments whilst preserving the intergenerational benefits of a healthy marine harbour for the whole community.

“We thank all members of our community for respecting the prohibition and look forward to sharing the success of the rāhui in the near future.”

AGM Livestream 2023

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Annual General Meeting Livestream


The Annual General Meeting held at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae will be broadcast live for those who cannot attend kanohi ki te kanohi.

Register to receive the livestream link: https://ngatiawa-iwi-nz.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p0-GU0t_TUisTJRdMCQyrg

The Tikanga for the AGM livestream are as follows:

  • Register your attendance to receive the link.
  • The livestream is observation only.
  • All General Business and Apologies must be submitted by email to haley@ngatiawa.iwi.nz or call 07 3070760 before 5 PM Friday, 24th November.
  • Any late submissions of General Business will not be read.

Whakatāne to become reorua/bilingual centre

Whakatāne to become a reorua/bilingual centre


Whakatāne is becoming reorua in a partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council.

The initiative is supported by Aotearoa Reorua, which is a national movement that supports towns and cities across New Zealand to become bilingual centres. Iwi partners and Councils work together to develop a bilingual strategy for their centre to create more spaces, places, and opportunities where te reo Māori is seen, heard, and celebrated alongside the English language.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council leadership teams have been working to establish Whakatāne Reorua as another way to strengthen the cultural fabric of the town. The organisations also recognise the success of Whakatāne Reorua as a platform from which the partners’ reo Māori revitalisation efforts can grow to encompass the whole rohe (boundaries) of Ngāti Awa.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Manahautū Reuben Araroa says as treaty partners, we are working with Whakatāne District Council on this initiative to champion the revitalisation of te reo Māori so that it can be seen, heard and felt by our communities and those who visit Whakatāne from afar.

“As partners we recognise the success of Whakatāne Reorua as a platform from which the collective reo Māori revitalisation efforts can also identify and share the more subtle features of Ngāti Awatanga across our rohe (boundaries). We see this as another way to inform our communities of our past, present and future with the hope of inciting more curiosity about our unique Ngāti Awa language, culture and how it differs from other iwi across the country.

“Reorua will also outline the protocols for making decisions and confirming an agreed understanding between Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council to proactively manage any perceived and actual risks relating to the uplift of te reo Māori presence in our communities.”

Whakatāne District Council Chief Executive, Steph O’Sullivan says” “By working together on this exciting initiative, we will ensure te reo Māori, as an official language, thrives and is celebrated as an integral part of our District’s identity and future.”

The revitalisation project will involve a multi-faceted approach, with various initiatives and activities to increase te reo Māori awareness, understanding, and use within the Whakatāne District. This will include things like bilingual signage, establishing reo Māori public spaces, community language workshops and more community events and celebrations of the language.

Overall, Whakatāne Reorua will provide more opportunities for people to learn and practice te reo Māori in an inclusive and supportive environment.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Whakatāne District Council encourage all residents, community groups, businesses and organisations within the Whakatāne township to actively participate in this revitalisation effort. For more information and to become a reorua/bilingual champion, visit the Whakatāne District Council website.

Aotearoa Reorua is led by the Department of Internal Affairs with support from Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori and Te Mātāwai.

Ngāti Awa Pull Together for Matariki Whakapiri 2023

Ngāti Awa Pull Together for Matariki Whakapiri 2023


Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa and Te Whare Wānanga a Awanuiārangi are collaborating once more to host Matariki Whakapiri at Te Manuka Tūtahi Marae in Whakatāne on Thursday, July 13.

A public event for the Mataatua rohe and Whakatāne community to celebrate the Māori New Year together, the two organisations hosted the inaugural Matariki Whakapiri festival last year. As a result of positive feedback from the community and attendees, both organisations decided to establish it as an annual event.

This year the festival will follow the previous year’s schedule and start with a pōhiri and karakia followed by Kapa Haka performances from at least eight groups. Each group will perform a bracket of waiata that takes no longer than 15 minutes, which must include a song about Matariki.

In the evening, Ngāti Awa storyteller Pouroto Ngaropo will share his narratives about Matariki. Performers, including Eve Lyford, Shelley Akuhata and Maisey Rika, will then take to stage and entertain the crowd until the festival is closed with a karakia at 7pm. The festival will also include a market where people can purchase food and other items and a family-friendly activity station with bouncy castles, face painting and other entertainment.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Manahautū (Chief Executive) Reuben Araroa said this year the national theme for the celebration was Matariki kainga hokia.

“Matariki kainga hokia has a goal to inspire people to return home and spend quality time with their loved ones. It also aims to capture the wairua (soul) of the event while speaking to people of all ages and backgrounds to encourage their participation with Matariki.

“For Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, this means creating a space and opportunity for this to take place where our iwi and hapori (community) can celebrate and embrace the uniqueness of Ngāti Awatanga as a way of appreciating Matariki.

“As always we are delighted to collaborate with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi. Again this opportunity reflects our strong relationship with each other and demonstrates how we can lead initiatives to strengthen our community relationships as well. We are grateful for the support from Vaughan and the team and look forward to bringing Matariki alive at Te Manuka Tūtahi Marae for all our community to experience and enjoy.”

Mr Araroa said he was also grateful for the funding support from philanthropic organisation BayTrust.

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Executive Director – Academic Vaughan Bidois said the inaugural Matariki Whakapiri was such a success.

“We enjoyed working with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa last year to create a free event for the Whakatāne community to come together to celebrate Matariki and we are looking forward to pulling together this year’s festival.

“This year, at least eight teams will perform kapa haka brackets where we can actively see and be part of cultural practices that connect us to each other and to the past. Through the market, we will be able to share kai and time with each other, and we are grateful the time that notable storyteller Pouroto Ngaropo is so willing to share his knowledge on this beautiful time of the year. It is appropriate that we come together and share these aspects as these are all part of the things that define us.”

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars that rises in midwinter and for many Māori heralds the start of the new year or te Mātahi o te Tau. The appearance of Matariki in the morning sky is a sign for people to gather, to honour the dead, celebrate the present and plan for the future.

In 2022, Matariki became an official public holiday in Aotearoa and this year it will be marked on Friday, July 14.

Rongoānuku Blossoms as new Ngāti Awa Pākihi

Pākihi Stories: Rongānuku


Rongoānuku Blossoms as new Ngāti Awa Pākihi

Anyone who has visited the Nuku homestead on Brabant Street in Whakatāne over the past six decades will know the origin story of Rongoānuku.

A large section, the house and land provided a home for Dave and Hilda Nuku that sustained their 13 children and continues to be an ūkaipo for their uri. In the garden, even today, are the reminders of their legacy – a vegetable garden, pā harakeke and plants to cure numerous ailments.

And it was here in the garden where the first seeds were planted that would eventually blossom into Rongoānuku.

A new Ngāti Awa business, prioritising selfcare and offering contemporary rongoa products that have been designed to make it easy to incorporate into modern lifestyles, Rongoaānuku is owned by Ani Nuku – a daughter of Dave and Hilda.

With whakapapa to the hapū of Ngāti Rangataua, Ani is a proud Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Pūkeko wahine and says the business is a manifestation of her desire to create economic flexibility and freedom in her own way.

“I started Rongoānuku because I’ve always resonated with traditional healing and herbal remedies,” she says. “Growing up I wasn’t a fan of my Mum’s traditional concoctions, I knew rongoā was good for me but struggled to get it down. After several years of experimenting, I finally created something I felt was good enough to market.”

Ani launched Rongoānuku online in April this year. She says during her time of cultivating her business idea, she studied rongoā in Ōpōtiki through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to help bring it to fruition and graduated in May of this year.

“In December 2022, I finished working in a social services role and made the big decision to focus on launching Rongoānuku. It has been a huge learning curve finding suppliers, packaging, legal requirements and learning to set up a website and online store while balancing home life, but the challenges have been worthwhile.”

The first collection to be released was Rongoā Latte, a tasty blend of nutrient superfoods combined with the benefits of rongoā, which have been blessed and blended in Whakatāne.

She says her focus now is to grow and promote Rongoānuku.

“A goal is to expand the availability of our products by partnering with aligned stockists, thereby making rongoā more accessible to those who seek it. I am currently working on expanding our product line and hope to have new offerings available shortly.

“In the future, I envision having a dedicated space where we can craft a unique ceremonial experience by combining rongoa and our own indigenous practices, offering our own version of a cacao ceremony.”

Through Rongoānuku, Ani has become the latest member to join the Ngāti Awa Pākihi register, which provides support for businesses owned by those from within iwi.

For more information or to place orders, the Rongoānuku website can be found at: www.rongoanuku.com. Otherwise, if you want to register your business as a Ngāti Awa Pākihi then you can contact Taihuiranga (PMO) Engagement Officer Courtney Reneti at Courtney.Reneti@ngatiawa.iwi.nz

Ngāti Awa Waitangi Commemoration Day

Ngāti Awa Waitangi Commemoration Day


Kai te paepae tapu, ngā amorangi e waha nei I ngā tikanga a kui mā. Kai te hira rawa ngā whakamoemiti ki a koutou

Tēna te mihi maioha kia koutou, e ngā uri o Ngāti Awa. Whakapiripiri mai, ki tēnei Kaupapa nei.

On Friday June 16, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa is hosting a commemoration of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, from 9.30am to 12pm.

To mark this moment in iwi history, we invite whanau representatives of the 12 signatories, to this event. Ko wai ngā Rangatira? There will be a list containing these tohu provided using our QR Code as well as our agenda for the day.

Nau mai haere mai, ki tēnei kaupapa, hei ora I nga mōhio, I ngā pārongo o te takunetanga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As an uri of Ngāti Awa, we would be honoured to have you join us at the event with your whānau.

Dog owners urged to be vigilant as local kiwi dies due to suspected dog attack

Dog owners urged to be vigilant as local kiwi dies due to suspected dog attack


*This pānui contains images that viewers may find offensive. View discretion is advised*

The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust is deeply saddened by the discovery of a dead kiwi, found on the field behind Ōhope Beach School last week – its injuries were consistent with a dog attack.

Whakatāne Kiwi Trust Kiwi Management Team Leader Claire Travers said the kiwi was an adult male of breeding age, which was a huge blow for the local kiwi population.

“It’s not just him we have lost but future generations of kiwi that come from him.

“It’s also really sad to think about the way this kiwi died. The harsh reality is that dog kills are not often instant, it is in a dog’s nature to violently shake the bird, causing the rib cage to fracture or break which crushes the internal organs. This then causes massive haemorrhaging where the bird drowns in its own blood. He pouri toku ngakau (my heart is sad).”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Chief Executive Reuben Araroa said the tribe was also heartbroken to hear about the loss.

“As stated, many times before we have an obligation as kaitiaki within the Ngāti Awa rohe to support the revitalisation of our natural habitat and species. A key component of our focus has been our relationship with the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust who work tirelessly to restore the population of Kiwi in our rohe. In recent weeks, our organisations came together to celebrate the release of two Kiwi – named Hui and Tanguru into the Mokorua Scenic Reserve.

“It’s like sending our extended whanau, out into the world, wishing them a safe and prosperous life ahead. Therefore, it’s devastating to learn about this event, so want to support the Trust’s call to action for people to do Kiwi Aversion Training with their dogs. I am sure most dog owners already empathise as animal carers themselves about our loss so we continue to support the request to those dog owners who may not be aware that these training initiatives are available.”

Nationwide, dogs pose the biggest threat to kiwi, because they can kill both young and adult kiwi, and tend to develop a taste for the bird. This can result in a single dog causing significant harm to a kiwi population.

In 1987 a single dog roamed through Waitangi Forest for six weeks and slaughtered approximately 500 kiwi. In 2021, five dead kiwi were found on a beach in Northland, all probably killed by the same dog.

Decades of work, and thousands of hours and resources every year are poured into the Whakatāne Kiwi Project. Over the decades, the efforts of volunteers and active enthusiasts have grown the local kiwi population from just eight birds in 1999, to more than 350 kiwi living in the reserves and farmland surrounding Whakatāne today.

As a community-led project, members of the Whakatāne community can be proud of this achievement, and the role that everyone has played in keeping kiwi, and other precious native wildlife, safe in the area.

Around Whakatāne and Ōhope kiwi can literally be anywhere. During the day they sleep with very little cover – underneath ferns, pampas grass, in drains or even culverts. It only takes seconds for a dog to sniff out a kiwi and inflict life-threatening injuries.

Dog owners are urged to always keep their dogs under control. To support this, the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust runs several Dog Aversion Training Sessions every year, where it only takes 10 minutes to teach a dog to keep away from kiwi and weka. Even small pet dogs can kill kiwi, so it is important that all dogs in this area are aversion trained.

The next Dog Aversion Training Session is being held on June 25th. For more info and to book your dog in see: www.WhakataneKiwi.org.nz
If you see a roaming dog, please call the District Council Animal Control as soon as possible: 07 306 0500