Te Aka Tairoa: Ngā mihi nui ki a koe!

For those Ngāti Rārua who participated in Te Aka Tairoa,  nga mihi ki a koe! 

Your input has been truly valued and has formed the basis of a set of recommendations forwarded to the Rūnanga. 

Te Aka Tairoa looked at how we might improve digital capabilities and connectivity across our whānau, hapū, marae and iwi networks. 

We engaged two ways last year, an online survey and four hui held in Wairau, Motueka, Hamilton and Auckland.  

You told us your needs, and that you clearly understood the challenges of the differing communication tools. You also provided suggestions in terms of how we could get a wider reach and improve our delivery to you. 

The consistent themes were:

• The need to maintain tikanga when using new methods of communicating;
• Although email was the preferred method, whānau use a wide range of information technology and communication tools;   
• The importance of taking the personal approach;   
• Spanning the geographic divide across the motu;  
• The importance of  updating the tribal database;    
• Having a ‘buffet’ of communication and engagement options for whānau;   
• Strengthening communications from the centre; and 
• Enabling rangatahi to actively participate.        

All these recommendations are now being considered in Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua Communications Review,  so thank you again everyone who participated.