Kawenata shapes Te Tauihu community future
Mā te mahi tahi, ka puāwai te moemoeā.
Mā te kotahitanga, ka whakatutuki ngā wawata.
Mā te whāinga nui, ka taea te pae tawhiti.
Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu gathered together on 11 February for a historic moment as Te Tauihu Community Development Agency (TTCDA), Te Kotahi Trust Board, and Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Maui, signed a Kawenata (relationship agreement) at Whakatū Marae.
This ceremony represented more than just a formal launch – it's an invitation to be part of a movement that will transform how we work together in Te Tauihu.
The Kawenata had its origins in the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy, which among other things, aspired to a reset for the community sector to help our region thrive and be good ancestors for the people that follow us.
Under the korowai of Te Kotahi Trust, the Kawenata embodies a shared commitment to:
- Supporting each other to thrive
- Working collectively to address community challenges
- Creating positive change for generations to come
- Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through authentic partnership
Podcast: Community conversation: Kawenata signing
Community conversations is a regular podcast on Fresh FM profiling what's happening in Te Tauihu. In tthis episode Shane Graham, Pou Whakahare of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, and Leigh Manson, Strategic Lead for Te Tauihu Community Development Agency discuss the whakapapa of the Community Development Agency and its connection to our intergenerational strategy in Te Tauihu.
Leadership from Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu, community groups, local and central government, and the Chamber of Commerce came together to sign the Kawenata, a covenant reflecting shared aspirations and a long-term commitment to working together for the well-being of the region. Photo: Te Tauihu Community Development Agency.
A Ceremony Grounded in Partnership and Legacy
The signing ceremony was deeply moving, beginning with mihi and acknowledgments from iwi leaders, followed by speeches from
Shane Graham (Pouwhakahaere, Ngāti Rārua),
Megan Courtney (Chair, TTCDA), and
Leigh Manson (Strategic Lead, TTCDA).
(You can click the names to read the speeches)
Each speaker emphasised the importance of authentic partnerships and the need for a new way of working — one that is grounded in the principles of whanaungatanga (relationships), manaakitanga (care), pono (integrity), and rangatiratanga (self-determination).
A powerful theme throughout the ceremony was the idea of being good ancestors. As TTCDA Strategic Lead Leigh Manson reminded attendees, the commitments made in this kawenata are not just for today but for future generations who will inherit the outcomes of our actions.
More information
Leigh Manson
