WELL DONE

Overall, we have every reason to be pleased and impressed with how the vast majority of peoples in Te Hiku o Te Ika Muriwhenua responded to the pandemic and how, through sacrifice, service, collaboration and cooperation, we have managed to keep it largely at bay.

There are always the exceptions but, in the main, those exceptions have just highlighted our achievements.

To illustrate, between March 25^th and today, we have recorded 37 deaths spanning all hakapapa strands, ages, genders and callings; people who were either from within or strongly connected to us.   

In all but one of those tangihanga, the tikanga and proceedings were conducted safely and with dignity.  The single instance where things became unsafe occurred during an ‘after party’ and involved non whānau members being wasted idiots.  That single instance of idiocy, which was all too commonplace before the alert levels were established, highlighted how capable we are of conducting ourselves in even the most trying of times.

No reira e ngā tini mate o tēnei wa, kua okioki koutou i ngī ahuatanga o tēnei Ao, kua tae atu koutou ki to koutou tūpuna, ōtira ki a rātou katoa i te Ao Wairua, haere atu ki a rātou ma, haere atu ki te Torona o Ihoa.

Another illustration.  Ngāti Kuri announced last week that access into their lands at Te Rerenga Wairua remained closed until they had completed cleansing processes (both spiritual and physical) as well as deferred maintenance of the facilities there. 

This same iwi, alongside of Te Aupōuri, had from March 25^th until May 14^th manned and maintained 24/7 COVID-19 checkpoints at Ngātaki on State Highway 1 and had controlled entry via that road into their rohe, successfully ensuring that COVID-19 did not enter.

 

In all but a handful of cases during that time, the responses to their kaitiakitanga were positive and supportive.  Notably, the handful of instances in which they were challenged all involved non-iwi members being self-entitled idiots claiming a right without any concomitant sense of responsibility or ability to delay the gratification of their claimed entitlement.  Happily, in only one of those instances did a kaitiaki respond with exasperation to them. 

Well done Ngāti Kuri.  We look forward to joining you next Friday 29^th May when you reopen access into that auspicious place.  

And well done to all the rest of our hakapapa strands, ages, genders, callings and people who proved that we understand and can work alongside each other in even the most inauspicious of times.