Te Rarawa uri are engaging in iwi politics in growing numbers as voting continues for the next chairperson of Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa.
Chief executive George Riley says participation levels have been significant, with around 1600 votes counted so far.
“If posts and responses on social media are any guide, then we have certainly seen a lot more participation,” he says.
While turnout is tracking similarly to the previous election, Riley says iwi registrations have also increased during the voting period.
“I can confirm a lot of applications for registration of iwi membership have been rolling in over the last couple of months.”
Riley emphasised the importance of the election process for uri.
“He mahi rangatira te pōti mō ngā uri o Te Rarawa.”
“Voting is one way that our people exercise their collective and individual rangatiratanga. When whānau vote, they strengthen our collective voice and help ensure leadership reflects the aspirations and wellbeing of current and future generations.”
Ngā kaitono
The five candidates gathered at Waipuana Marae at the weekend for a meet the candidates hui. An opportunity for whānau to engageand to ask questions about the candidates.
Incumbent chair Katie Murray of Rangikohu Marae is seeking a further term.
She is standing alongside Anahera Herbert-Graves (Morehu Marae), Abraham Witana (Waipuna Marae), Lisa McNab (Wainui Marae) and Mike Te Wake (Waihou Marae).
Murray says she wants another term to strengthen the work already underway.
“I want another three years to solidify all of those kaupapa - ngā hui a iwi, taurahere, all sorts of kaupapa that haven’t yet been done because the resources to enable us to do that are not freely available,” she says.
“How do we come together? You know, how do we get over ourselves? Everyone talks about it, nobody actually actions it.”
She says her focus would remain on strengthening alignment across the iwi organisation.
“I started the review of the entire organisation [because] not only are we not aligned to our people, we’re not even aligned to each other; our three parts of our organisation seem to be three different organisations.”
Ngā kaupapa
Mike Te Wake, a kanohi kitea throughout Te Tai Tokerau, says it was his whānau who encouraged him to stand.
“I runga i te kaha tautoko o aku karani, aku kaumātua me taku whānau, te take o wēnei o ngā mahi,” he adds.
“Kia whaiwhai i ngā whakaaro me ngā hiahia o te iwi.”
He wants to help hapū strengthen Te Rarawa by supporting sustainable industries, marae projects, and giving hapū the tools to manage resources wisely.
Abraham Witana, who currently serves as deputy chair of the rūnanga board, says his focus is restoring authority to marae and hapū.
“Ko te kotahitanga i runga [i] ngā marae, ngā hapū katoa o Te Rarawa. Kia rongo katoa ngā marae i te mana o o rātau reo.”
His top priorities include intergenerational sustainability, transparent and accountable governance and strong external representation.
Lisa McNab has extensive experience in national and local governance and currently chairs Te Oneroa a Tōhe Beach Board and ANT Trust, and serves as a trustee for the rūnanga and Wainui Marae.
She says she is focused on whenua returned through Treaty settlements.
“I’m really excited about how to progress the return of the whenua. that come in the settlements, back to hapū.”
Anahera Herbert-Graves says hapū strength must remain central to iwi development.
“We must acknowledge that our hapū are the powerhouses of our iwi and we must bring through,” she adds.
“Encouraging the board to show the political will to navigate what is largely a Crown-directed constitution.”
She says the iwi is at a pivotal moment, particularly with Te Waka Pupuri, the asset holding company, and Te Rarawa Anga Mua.
“I think we’re on the crest of the wave and we don’t wanna fall off the back of it.”
“We’re ideally positioned to build hapūtanga or reclaim hapūtanga and bring through our younger people.”
The rūnanga was established in the late 1980s as the iwi authority representing Te Rarawa.
It became the Post-Settlement Governance Entity in 2014 after the iwi approved its Treaty settlement, and it received the settlement assets in 2016 when the law was passed.
According to Te Whata data, there were approximately 30,000 Te Rarawa iwi members in 2023.
Riley encourages all eligible whānau to vote.
“Voting is one of the most direct ways we can exercise our rangatiratanga as uri o Te Rarawa.”
Every registered Te Rarawa iwi member aged 18 and over is eligible to vote. Voting is available online or by post.
Voting closes on 14 March, with the new chairperson expected to be announced at the annual general meeting that day.
