Ko te hui nui o te Kohinga Koha Māori Economic Summit kua tū ki Huria Marae, e whakahuihui ana i ngā iwi, ngā pakihi, me ngā kaiārahi ōhanga ki te whakatakoto mahere mō te anamata.
“Ko te manako nui ka huri mātou mai i ngā kamupene ki tō tātou nei pakihi iti,” hei tā te Heamana o Ngāti Ranginui, a Charlie Rahiri.
“Kia tapiri mai ki roto i ngā moemoeā o tō tātou nei Kuini – Mana Motuhaketia tō tātou nei ao, ko tēnei kaupapa he huri o tō mātou nei whakaaro kia mātou anō hoki.”
I te mutunga o tērā tau ka whakatūhia e Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po i te hui Ohanga ki te Ao i kōnā hua mai ai ko te hiahia o Tauranga Moana ki te whakatū i Kohinga Koha.
“Ko Kohinga he mea whakarauora i ngaa aahuatanga o roto i ngaa takiwaa i ngaa rohe. Noo reiraa i tere tuu ai te ringa o Tauranga Moana te take o te mahi o Ahuwhenua wheenei i te huakiwi,” hei tā te Māngai o te Kiingitanga, a Rahui Papa.
“Ko Te Arikinui teenei kua tuu tana ringaringa ki te kii atu anei whiriwhirihia he huarahi moo te iwi Maaori. Kaua taatou e whakawhirihia ki a kaawanatanga nei, a kaunihera nei,” hei tāna anō.
Nā Roimata Ah Sam i whakamārama mai, “Ko te tūhono i ngā ao whai rawa i ngā whānau. Ka pēhea rawa i whākina ngā tatau kia wātea te marea ki te kuhu. Kia whai ngā rawa kia tohaina ki te ao,” hei tā te Tumu Whakarae o Ngāi Te Rangi, a Roimata Ah Sam.
“Kia kite i ngā hua tua atu i tēnā o te taha pūte engari ki roto i ngā whānau, ki ngā whare o ngā whānau, e noho mahana mātou, e noho ngātahi ana. Kua kī ngā puku,” hei tāna anō.
The Kohinga Koha Māori Economic Summit at Huria Marae brings together Tauranga Moana iwi, leaders, and businesses to focus on sustainable growth and intergenerational prosperity.
“It’s a significant opportunity to showcase to our uri of all three iwi that we are unitied, in terms of the prosperity of our Moana. Not just individual areas but all of us together,” chair of Ngāti Pukenga, Kylie Smallman says.
“Making sure that our base is solid and then our growth is sustainable. But, making sure that we’re trying to achieve all of the aspirations for our whaanau. Hauora, cultural and economic as well,” she says
“We have a lot of influence between us and obviously a strong economic base as well, but how do we harness that? And how do we coordinate that better for all of us?”
This Wednesday, Mercury Baypark comes alive with a free evening celebrating Māoritanga, created under the leadership of Tauranga Moana tangata whenua.
Running from 4.30pm to 8.30pm, the event opens with the Toi Hiringa Māori marketplace and kai options, followed by a powerful kapa haka performance by Te Reo Whakakoko o Mauao at 5.00pm, and live music from Left Hand Break at 7.00pm. Everyone is welcome to bring the whānau and join in an evening dedicated to whakawhanaungatanga and manaakitanga.