Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao performing at the Te Arawa Lakes Trust centennial celebrations. Photo / Laura Smith
It was a night filled with pride as the country’s “first Māori Trust Board” celebrated its centennial at a special ball on Thursday night.
Rotorua’s Te Arawa Māori Trust Board was established a century ago.
It was renamed in 2006 as Te Arawa Lakes Trust to represent the interests of Te Arawa hapū and iwi members in relation to the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Act 2006.
On Thursday night it held a centennial ball, with about 600 people invited.
For attendee Huhana Clayton-Evans one significant change that comes to mind is the inclusion of women in the trust’s mahi.
“It’s come a long way”, she said.
“I know some of our koro were on it. I like to believe they did their best, whatever their purpose was.”
Clayton-Evans said she admired Dr Cathy Dewes for gaining her hapū’s support for her to become the first woman to gain a seat on the trust board in 1995.
Trust chairman Geoff Rolleston spoke at the “momentous occasion”.
He spoke of how it was the “first Māori Trust Board of Aotearoa” to be established.
“For Te Arawa leaders there was a degree of pride in them, for the first time in history a board composed entirely of Māori was appointed by the Government to control the expenditure of 6000 pounds annually and that’s equivalent to $730,000 in today’s money.
“Land purchases, marae restoration, education grants were high on the agenda of those early board meetings.”
Throughout pandemics and world wars, the trust lasted.
“We are stronger than ever, and we must have an extreme focus on building our knowledge, building our capability, building our capacity to become sustainable and resilient people.”
Looking to the next 100 years, Rolleston said mokopuna would reap the rewards of good stewardship including from iwi, hapū and stakeholders.
“To provide the platform for meaningful change by 2027, it could be sooner, we will see Te Arawa voting for a representation model that truly reflects the desires and needs of our people. It will ensure the engagement and governance oversight they choose.”
Personal interests needed to be set aside for the greater good of everyone, he said.
“We cannot be hindered by self-interest or fear, but must demonstrate the vision and courage needed to secure future for our Te Arawa mokopuna and indeed the whole community.”
He envisioned a future where all Te Arawa hapū and iwi stood united to form a powerful partnership with stakeholders.
Rolleston took over from Te Arawa rangatira Tā Toby Curtis, who died in 2022. Tā Toby and his mahi was acknowledged at the event.
Rotorua Lakes Council Māori ward councillor Trevor Maxwell told Local Democracy Reporting Rolleston’s speech stood out for him.
Maxwell said he was filled with pride at the event, hearing about the history of the trust and the mahi that done over the years.
It was news to him it was the first Māori trust - something he was excited by.
“When I heard that, I thought ‘wow’.”
Maxwell said many in the room had strong connections to former trustees - for him, it was mentor Pakeke Leonard.
Also of Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Leonard was a deputy mayor. The motto on the council’s coat of arms - tātau tātau - is credited to him. It means, “We together” or “We are one”.
In 1963, Rotorua was believed to be the only New Zealand city with a motto in Māori rather than Latin on its coat of arms.
Maxwell said Leonard taught him about local politics.
“He helped me when I first started.”
Other dignitaries who attended included the Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka and Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell.
Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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