E ua e te ua.

He kotahi kapua ki te rangi.

He marangai ki te whenua.

E ngā amorangi, e ngā amokapua o ngā iwi puta noa i te motu, koutou kua nunumi ki tāheke nui, ki tāheke roa, haere atu rā.

Tākiri te haeata, horahia mai ko te ao mārama

Tihei māuri ora.

E ngā huanga o rātou mā, e koke nei, e oke nei, tēnā tātou katoa.

We are halfway through the year and where has the time gone. Cyclone Gabrielle (Kapiere) unleashed on Aotearoa, wreaking havoc across Te Ika a Maui, cutting off Te Taitokerau leaving whānau isolated, in Tāmaki Makaurau there was flooding, while Te Tairawhiti and Kahungunu were totally wiped out by raging rivers and silt leaving homes devastated and families displaced.

Communications were down and many whānau had to rely on each other to get word that other members of their whānau were ok or to be able to get supplies to those affected.

11 people died because of Cyclone Gabrielle, and we send our aroha to their whānau and communities. For Kōhanga Reo, our kaimahi in the regions were the faces of our kaupapa and my thanks to them for keeping our whānau safe during this crisis. Across the motu Kōhanga Reo whānau rallied to send Koha and supplies to affected areas. The cost to our whānau and communities cannot be measured but we know that things will have to change in order to respond to the changing climate and weather patterns. I would like to make a special mention to Cheryl Houkamau for continuing to support her whānau and hapori, and the whānau of Te Wairoa who have been isolated for the last 3 months.

The mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing of whānau is being challenged every day and I feel thankful we have our hapū and iwi there to support as well as our wider community.

Despite the weather, and after 4 years of postponing, the Te Matatini Festival went ahead and all teams participated, including those from affected areas who stood on stage to represent their rohe and iwi.

It was amazing to be there and take in the atmosphere, a celebration of culture and whanaungatanga where everyone could come together. The Kōhanga Reo space was electric and fizzing with mokopuna and parents. At one time there were almost 200 people in the same space and the kaupapa kaimahi o Tāmaki Makaurau with the help of Kōhanga Reo kaimahi did a superb job of managing the space to ensure that everyone could have a break, change some nappies, have a tākaro and a cup of tea.

It was also during that month that we officially launched the Pay Parity scheme nationally for Kōhanga Reo. A centralized pay scheme for Kōhanga Reo Kaiako and kaimahi with incentives to move up a clearly defined pay scale.

There are still some kinks that we are working out but essentially it will give better remuneration and better conditions for Kaimahi. A big thank you to Mihi Tashkoff and te  Kōhanga Reo o Te Tairawhiti who piloted the scheme. We must also acknowledge Minister Kelvin Davis who has advocated for Kōhanga Reo and whose policies have made the most dramatic change for Kōhanga Reo in the last 10 years. We look forward to more Kōhanga Reo coming on board with the second roll out of the Pay Parity scheme in July.

The Pay Parity salary is based around our Tohu, Te Tohu Whakapakari Tino Rangatiratanga which is now recognised as having degree status. This has put pressure on our training and Pouako who are working hard to increase the number of Tohu holders in our regions while upgrading current Tohu Whakapakari Tino Rangatiratanga holders across the motu.

Finally, a big mihi to our rohe and Kōhanga Reo who are still celebrating 40 years and those Kōhanga Reo who have received their new buildings. E te whānau be assured our kaupapa is progressing forward and I am confident in our resilience to overcome and strengthen our kaupapa.

We have seen dramatic changes with the world as we recover from the global pandemic and now climate change and extreme weather patterns are becoming the norm. It does make it more difficult for our whānau as we go into survival mode to keep our Kōhanga Reo moving. It has been amazing to see the support flowing in to affected whānau.

We are currently working on strategies to be able to respond to our whānau and Kōhanga Reo needs during times of crises. As these weather events become more frequent, we must prepare ourselves and our mokopuna for the future, to be able to cope. Our taiao is letting us know that we cannot continue like this and expect no consequence, therefore we must prepare.

As you know we have recently finished our road trip around the country to get your feedback on issues in your Kōhanga Reo and kaupapa like pay parity, training, property, administration, and role of whānau in Kōhanga Reo. We will take on board your kōrero and hope to deliver on some of the issues that you our whānau are currently facing.

Nō reira e te whānau kia haumaru kia mahana te noho i roto i tēnei wā o te hōtoke. Please stay warm and stay well, ngā manaakitanga.

Nō te marama o Pepuere i tēnei tau tū ai Te Matatini ki Tāmaki Makaurau, i raro tonu i te mana o Ngāti Whātua ki Orakei. Neke atu i te 20,000 ngā tāngata i tae atu ki te mātakitaki i ngā Kapa Haka, ā, hāunga te mātakitaki i te whakataetae, ko te whakawhanaunga, ko te noho tahi me te tautoko i ngā āhuatanga o te wā ngā mahi matua o tēnei hui.

He kaupapa hirahira a Te Matatini ki te iwi Māori, inara, koinei te hui taurima e piri tahi ai tēnā hapū, tēnā iwi me tēnā whānau ki te mātakitaki i ngā Kapa Haka toa o te motu, tae rawa atu hoki ki Ahitereiria.

I tēnei tau i tū Te Matatini ki Ngā Ana Wai (Eden Park) atu i Tāmaki Makaurau, me te aha, he nui ngā Manu Pīrere nō Te Kōhanga Reo i kotahi atu ki te tautoko i te kaupapa, kia tino eke Te Matatini me ōna whakahaerenga katoa ki te pae o angitu. Mai i ngā mahi tūao, tae noa atu ki te tū hei kaihaka ki te whatārangi o Te Matatini, katoa mai ngā Manu Pīrere nō Te Kōhanga Reo i whakapetongoi kia tutuki pai ngā mahi i mua i te aroaro.

Ahakoa te maha o ngā Manu Pīrere i eke ki te taumata tiketike i roto i ā rātou mahi, kotahi te Manu Pīrere i tino eke i roto i ōna mahi.

Ko Te Ngawari Wright te Kaitātaki Wahine toa o Te Matatini 2023, ā, he uri a Te Ngawari o Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngaruahine, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa me Ngāti Whitikaupeka. He Manu Pīrere a Te Ngawari nō Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina, i te huarahi rongonui o Tarewa i Rotorua. Ko Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue te Kapa e arahina ana e Te Ngawari, otirā, kei raro Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina i te maru me te whakahaeretanga o tōna iwi ake, o Ngāti Whakaue.

I uia a Te Ngawari mō ōna mahara i a ia i Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina, ā, anei ana kōrero; “Ko tētahi o aku mahara nui o te haere ki Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina ko te mokemoke o taku noho, inā hoki i taku haerenga atu ki te Kōhanga Reo, i wehe kē aku tungāne, ā, i haere taku tuākana ki Te Puna Reo o Pukeroa Oruawhata. Ko au te pekepoho o te whānau, ko au anake hoki i mutu i Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina. Ahakoa taku mokemoke ki tōku tuākana me ōku tungāne, kāore au i pirangi ki te wehe i Te Kōhanga Reo nā runga anō i taku aroha nui ki taku ahurea.”

Hei tā Te Ngawari, kāore ia i paku rata ki ngā mahi haka i a ia e tamariki ana, ā, ki te tū tahi ia ki ana hoa, kāore he paku aha i puta i tana waha, he tū tekoteko noa iho te mahi. Ahakoa tēnei, he maha ngā karakia me ngā waiata i akongia e ia ki te Kōhanga Reo, ā, koinei te tūāpapa o ana mahi haka. E whakapono nui ana a Te Ngawari ki tā te Kōhanga Reo whakarite i te tamaiti mō te anamata, mai i ngā akoranga mātauranga, tae noa atu ki ngā mahi haka.

I uia a Te Ngawari mō ōna whakaaro ki ngā herenga o te Kaitātaki Wahine, ā, koinei tāna; “Me whakapono te kaitātaki ki tāna e mahi nei, ki tōna Kapa, ki ōna kaiako me te whanau e tautoko ana i a ia. Ka rua, me mārama te kaitātaki ki te reo Māori, ki te kore, he mahi noa i pahawa. Ka toru, me mārama, me rongo hoki te kaitataki i te wairua Māori e pai ai tana kawe i a ia anō. I a au i Te Kōhanga Reo, i whakatūria au e aku Kaiako ki te waha i tōku pepeha me ōku tātai whakapapa, otirā, koinei tētahi mahi i tū pakari ai ahau hei Kaitātaki Wahine, he pukenga hoki tēnei i morimorihia e ōku Kaiako Kōhanga Reo.

I te wā i toa ahau i te taonga mō te Kaitātaki Wahine, i te whakamā katoa ahau. Ko te tauaro o taku whakamā, ko tāku e kaha mahara nei ki ngā pukenga i tukuna mai e ōku pakeke. Ko au te waka e kawe nei i ngā akoranga katoa kua tukuna mai ki a au, otirā, e whai ana taku toa i te taonga Kaitātaki Wahine i te kōrero e mea ana; ‘Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.’

I whānau tahi mai māua ko taku pitomata, heoi anō, ko te kaiwhakapuāwai i tōku pitomata ko ngā pukenga i whāngaihia ki a au e ōku pakeke. Mai i Te Kōhanga Reo, ki Te Kura Kauapapa Māori, tae noa atu ki taku whānau me ōku iwi ake, katoa mai ēnei wānanga he tūāoma i takahia e a au kia eke rawa ki te tūranga toa whakaihuwaka o Te Matatini.

E ai ki a Timoti Karetu “kei roto i te kapu o ō tātou ringa te oranga tonutanga, te matenga rānei o te reo.” Waiho mā ēnei kupu te iwi Māori e whakamataara, kia huri atu hoki te iwi ki te tautoko mārika i te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo, kia tū hoki ahau hei tauira mō ngā hua nui o tō tātou kaupapa huia kaimanawa.”

Te Matatini is a significant cultural festival and the pinnacle event for Māori performing arts. Held every two years, it is one of the most highly anticipated events for performers, their whānau and the mass of passionate Kapa Haka fans throughout the world.

Hosted in a different city each time, the festival draws thousands of people who come to witness the best of the best. For many, it is a chance to not only experience Kapa Haka excellence, but to also reconnect with friends and family and express their loyalty and pride in their whānau on the stage.

This year's Te Matatini held at Eden Park in Auckland saw an impressive effort from many Kōhanga Reo Manu Pīrere. From volunteering at the 4-day event to performing on stage and participating in the competition, the effort from all our Kōhanga Reo Manu Pīrere to ensure the success of the event was huge.

One Kōhanga Reo Manu Pīrere was highly successful in achieving one of the highest honours of the Te Matatini competition, taking out the top spot for Kaitātaki Wahine.

Te Ngawari Wright is a Manu Pīrere of Te Kōhanga Reo o Utuhina, and she is a descendant of Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngaruahine, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa and Ngāti Whitikaupeka. As a child, Te Ngawari hated Kapa Haka and would often stand mute while performing with her peers at Kōhanga. As much as she disliked Kapa Haka as a child, Te Ngawari admits that her time and education at Kōhanga Reo has become the foundation to her success as a Kapa Haka performer and Kaitātaki Wahine.

When asked about the requirements of a Kaitātaki Wahine, this is what Te Ngawari had to say; “A Kaitātaki Wahine must believe in herself and the work she is doing, she must also believe in the potential of her Kapa, her tutors and the whānau that support her Kapa Haka. She must be fluent in te reo Māori, and she must understand the customs and protocols of te ao Māori to be able to successfully lead her Kapa on and off the performing stage.”

Te Ngawari admits to being very embarrassed when she won Kaitātaki Wahine of Te Matatini 2023. However, she says that her win was an example of her exceptional upbringing in Māori education, starting at Kōhanga Reo, continuing to Kura Kaupapa Māori and being raised by a Māori whānau in a Māori environment. Te Ngawari admits to being the vessel that exemplifies the exquisite education she was given as a child, the knowledge passed down to her by her elders as a teenager and the gifts bestowed upon her by her many whānau members as a young woman.

Ko Putauaki Te Maunga

Ko Rangitaiki Te Awa

Ko Ngati Awa ko Pahipoto ngā Iwi.

Te Aorere Pewhairangi, "Walk the 35" campaign to raise awareness of flood damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and climate change raised over $160,000 dollars.  He talks to us about was he was so passionate about this kaupapa and what ideas the people of Te Tairāwhiti have come up with to have better support next time there is another flood or another major event.

Nō te 11 o Aperira tū ai te pōhiri mō Te Puhi Ariki ki te tari matua o Te Kōhanga Reo, ā, he mea whakamana tēnei pōhiri i tōna tūranga hou hei mema o te poari matua.

Tōna 50 tāngata i tae atu ki te tautoko i tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira, otirā, i tino whai mana te pōhiri i te taenga atu a ētahi o ngā Pōhoi Toroa kua roa e whakapetongia ana mō te kaupapa o te Kōhanga Reo me ngā tamariki Māori o te motu. Nā Nanny Kuini Moehau Reedy rāua ko Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi te mauri o te kaupapa i pupuru, otirā, i pūrangiaho te ngako o te pōhiri i te taenga atu a Kīngi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu ki te tautoko i tōna tamāhine.

Hei tā Daniel Procter, heamana mō te poari matua o Te Kōhanga Reo, Manu Pīrere anō hoki, ki a Kīngi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu; “Haere mai ki ēnei raumaharatanga, mauria mai tō taonga (Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō), te tuarā o te kaupapa nei. Inā hoki, ko te Kīngitanga tētahi o ngā pou hei tiaki, hei manaaki (i te Kōhanga Reo). Nei rā te kaupapa hei mahora i te kanohi o te āpōpō ki te motu. Ko wai kē atu hei kaupapa i tua atu i te kaupapa i manaakitia e Te Arikinui (Te Atairangikaahu) i tōna wā.”

Hei tā Rahui Papa, kaikōrero mō te Kīngitanga; “Anei ko ngā pua o Te Kōhanga Reo kua hoki mai i roto i ngā whakahaere. Ko rātou (te hunga rangatahi) ngā mea i whakahiatotia nei e koutou te ora o Te Kōhanga Reo, ā, anei te hua o ā koutou mahi. Ko ngā pua o Te Kōhanga Reo e hokihoki mai ana ki roto i ngā whakahaere o Te Kōhanga Reo. E mahi tika ana.”

Katoa ngā whakahaere i eke i runga i te aroha nui o tēnā me tēnā ki tō tātou kaupapa huia kaimanawa, otirā, kua eke te rā e mana ai tō tātou waiata e kī ana; “Kua tipu rā hei oranga mō te iwi Māori. Mā te matua i te rangi hei ārahi te Kōhanga. Nō reira, mauria mai ngā tamariki ki Te Kōhanga Reo.”

It is only a couple of weeks since the bridge between Wairoa and Napier on State Highway 2 re-opened. A symbolic milestone of the work that continues and needs to be done to get whānau back to normal. What that is? It’s still a work in progress.

These pictures tell a raw story of how much damage the cyclone caused. There are 58 Kōhanga Reo in Te Rohe o Kahungunu with over 1000 mokopuna and 286 Kaimahi whose lives have been impacted.

Only those who have been affected can really know how it feels to be isolated and cut off. Contaminated silt and flood damage affected over half of the Kōhanga Reo in Ngāti Kahungunu. Many Kōhanga Reo families had their homes flood damaged so not all mokopuna are able to return to Kōhanga Reo.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Omahu was the first Kōhanga Reo established in Kahungunu and was flooded along with the Marae and community who had to be evacuated. Down the road Te Kōhanga Reo o Waiohiki and the Marae was used as an evacuation centre until the water level rose making it unsafe for whānau to remain there.

The rebuilding of our rohe and whānau affected by the floods and the return to Kōhanga Reo will no doubt take months or even years. As we head into winter and the weather continues to disrupt recovery efforts, staying in touch with whānau is key. Manaakitanga comes naturally and like other areas our Marae have stepped up to fill the breach. Waipatu Marae continues to support whānau in need with some flood victims still on site.

Our Kaupapa Kaimahi under the guidance of Whaea Heke Huata and Board Member Matua Hook, continue to reach out and support whānau. It’s an overwhelming task and for now the road to recovery will be a day at a time.

Nō te marama o Aperira tū ai te Korowaitanga o Waiariki me Tuwharetoa ki te marae o Ngāti Moko, atu i Te Puke. Ko Tapuika ngā kaitiaki o te kaupapa mō tēnei tau, ā, nā Ngāti Moko tāngata te tini ngerongero i pōhiri ki runga i ō rātou whenua taurīkura.

Toru tekau mā rua katoa ngā tāngata i whakawhiwhia ki ō rātou tohu Kōhanga Reo, otirā, i muia te marae e ngā kaitautoko me ngā whānau o ngā kaiwhiwhi tohu. He tohu tēnei o te renarenatanga o te taukaea i roto i ngā Kōhanga Reo o Waiariki me Tuwharetoa.

Nā Brennan Hohepa-Barrett, kaimahi o Te Kōhanga Reo o Otupango, kaiwhakarite hoki o te Korowaitanga, ngā āhuatanga o te rā i whakarite, ā, koinei te Korowaitanga tuatahi o ngā rohe o Waiariki me Tuwharetoa whai muri mai i te Hokorua o tō tātou kaupapa huia kaimanawa. Hei tā Brennan; “I roto i ngā tau 40 kua pahemo ake nei, e poho kererū ana a Tapuika nui tonu i tēnei rā whakahirahira kua tukuna mai ki a mātou hei whakahaere. Kua roa te wā e noho tārewa ana tātou i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te mate huaketo, ā, kua whai mārama tātou, e āhei tātou ki te whakatū hui pēnei. Nō mātou te maringa nui ki te pōhiri i ngā rohe o Waiariki me Tuwharetoa ki runga o Tapuika i te rā nei.”

E tūmanako nui ana a Brennan, otirā, a Waiariki me Tuwharetoa whānui, ka eke panuku tonu te kaupapa o Te Kōhanga Reo, ā, mā te whakaara i te ara ki ngā tamariki mokopuna me te poipoi i te kākano i ruia mai i Rangiatea, ka ea aua tūmanako nui.

‘Murihiku Tītī ā Kai, Tītī ā Manawa.’

Kua ea i a Murihiku tō rātou Korowaitanga mō te tau 2023, ā, 12 katoa ngā tāngata i whakawhiwhia ki tētahi tohu Kōhanga Reo. I tū te Korowaitanga o Murihiku ki E Ngā Hau e Whā Marae, otirā, nā Mereana Edwin ngā kōrero mō te kaupapa i waha, nānā hoki ngā whakahaerenga mō te rangi i taki.

Nā Lania Pohatu rāua ko Charmaine Matiaha ngā tohu mō te Takaimatua i tuku ki ngā kaiwhiwhi, ā, nā Catherine Stuart, Kaiwhakahaere-ā-Rohe mō Te Waipounamu, ngā tohu i tuku ki ngā kaiwhiwhi o Te Ara Tuatahi. Nā Titia Graham ngā tohu i tuku ki ngā kaiwhiwhi o Te Ara Tuarua, otirā, nānā hoki ngā mihi me ngā kupu whakamiha i tuku ki ngā tāngata i whakapōtaetia i taua rangi.

HURŌ! Kua whakawhiwhia te tari Kōhanga Reo o Te Waipounamu i te tohu urupare Kowheori-19, ā, e whakanui ana tēnei tohu i tā Te Waipounamu whakapetongoi ki te whakahaumaru i ōna uri me ngā whānau o Te Kōhanga Reo i te wā o te noho taratahi.

Hei tā Catherine Stuart, Kaiwhakahaere-ā-Rohe o Te Waipounamu; “Ehara i a mātou anake tēnei tohu, engari, nā te whānau o Te Kōhanga Reo whānui. Mei kore ake ngā tohutohu ā Te Tari Matua me te whakatauira mai ā ngā rohe i ngā pūnaha tika hei whai, kua kore pea ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Waipounamu e whai māramatanga ki te horapa nui o te putanga o tēnei mate ki roto o ngā Kōhanga Reo puta noa i te motu.