Ngai Tahu - Hui a Tau 19-21 November 2010

The annual tribal gatherings for Ngai Tahu began in a small way in the early 1980’s when the Ngai Tahu Maori Trust Board started returning annually to marae to present their audited accounts and to give iwi members time to korero about matters of tribal importance. The issues of those days, for example the Princes Street Reserve and the Ōtakou tenths, were a fore runner to the Ngai Tahu Claim. There were also other matters discussed in those times that continue to challenge Ngai Tahu today such as the reclaiming of te reo Māori by a community of Ngai Tahu speakers.

With the Ngai Tahu Settlement there have been many changes to the Hui a Tau, it has grown in size over the years and complexity however it remains the main annual gathering for Ngai Tahu people with attendances varying from 500-1,000. The Hui a Tau is open to all members of Ngai Tahu and their whānau and continues to hold its importance as a place for accountability by tribal representatives and also for the networking and socialising that is part and parcel of the Hui a Tau.

The Hui a Tau is hosted by papatipu rūnaka at the various Ngai Tahu marae throughout the tribal rohe. The 2010 Hui a Tau is being hosted by Kati Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki in the village of Karitane which is a small community on the East Coast of Otago, just 30 minutes north of Dunedin. This is the first Hui a Tau to be hosted in this area.

The small resident ahi kaa population of our hapu and runaka are asking our whānauka scattered throughout Te Waipounamu, Aotearoa and even further afield to return to Karitane and Puketeraki to help us host Hui a Tau 2010. Nau mai, haere mai, hoki mai.

To Ngai Tahu Whānui we look forward to welcoming you to Kaika Karitane from 19-21st November 2010.