On the 24th of February 2024, Dr Amohia Boulton, Utiku Potaka, and Luke Enoka, members of the Rapua te Ara Rangatira research team facilitated the first of four wānanga and workshops with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti during their quarterly strategic hui at Rātā marae. Utiku and Luke are also hapū delegates on the rūnanga for Ngāti Tūmokai and Ngāti Tamatereka respectively.
The team introduced rūnanga members to Te Remu o te Huia, a bespoke model of governance and leadership developed for the rūnanga from the literature and interview data the team has gathered and analyzed as part of the Rapua study. The purpose of this first workshop was both to introduce the model and invite rūnanga members to wānanga about its components. As a model that is being iteratively developed with rūnanga members, the research team is seeking further input and feedback from members to refine the current version. This process not only acknowledges the importance of partnership in kaupapa Māori research, but also the intent that, at the end of the study, the resulting handbook will be an enduring resource for the current delegates and for delegates in the future.
The model, which is named Te Remu o te Huia (the tail feathers of the huia), draws upon the cultural symbolism of the extinct huia birds tail feathers, traditionally revered by Rangatira and Ariki alike as plumes for the most sacred part of the body, their heads. These tail feathers thus adorned, were a powerful visual representation of a person’s mana. The tail feathers give expression to tino Rangatiratanga – a foundational concept within the model.
The model has three main features, Ngā Rau Matua. Each of these were presented to the rūnanga as a whole and then small groups went into breakout areas to wānanga each feature within their small group. Feedback was presented all delegates at the conclusion of each breakout session. Rūnanga members shared a number of reflections with the Rapua team about the model including:
Participants offered valuable insights such as those above, and many more, based on their experiences and mātauranga, which will further inform the refinement of the model. The team look forward now to revising the workbook based on the comments received and returning with another version of the model, and another series of wānanga sessions at the next rūnanga meeting in May 2024.
