We would first like to acknowledge our people for your efforts over the past seven weeks: those of our whānau who are essential kaimahi who worked long hours throughout the lockdown; those who helped look after kaumātua with essential care packages – they will not forget the aroha you have shown; and all our whānau who followed the Alert Level 4 and 3 guidelines – thank you for doing your part for Aotearoa.
Alert Level 2 and what this means for Te Mana
The Government announced this week that Aotearoa will be moving to Alert Level 2 from tomorrow, Thursday 14 May; with schools opening from Monday 18 May, and bars on Thursday 21 May. This will give us a bit more freedom in our movements. But remember, while the decline in case numbers is encouraging, the virus is still a very real threat. So, we must still take the necessary precautions under Alert Level 2, as advised by our Government.
We encourage all our whānau to read the Government’s guidelines on Alert Level 2 ahead of the transition later this week. These can be accessed on the Government’s ‘Unite against COVID-19’ website here.
Not all our kaumātua will feel safe leaving their bubble at Alert Level 2. Ngāti Rangitihi will continue to support our kaumātua and at-risk whānau to the best of our ability during Alert Level 2. You can read more about our support strategy here. If you, or any of our whānau need assistance, please let us know:
- Phone: Alana Hunter (027 557 4453) or D’Arcy Stoneham (027 557 4456)
- Email us at: info@ngatirangitihi.iwi.nz
- Send us a message on our Facebook page
- Fill out our COVID-19 assistance form here
Te Mana office update
Under Alert Level 2, our physical Te Mana Office in Matatā will re-open its doors from Monday 18 May. We will need to follow the health and safety protocols required under Alert Level 2. If you need to come to our office, please ring ahead so we can plan for your arrival.
Rangitihi Marae update
Our Kāhui kaumātua will be meeting to decide on an opening date for Rangitihi Marae and the protocols that will need to be followed in consideration of the Alert Level 2 regulations. At this stage our Marae is still closed. We hope to have more detail on this over the coming week.
Tangihanga
Specific guidelines for tangihanga at Alert Level 2 are being worked through and we will update this pānui once there is full clarity on this.
Update on our journey to Settlement
Despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented, we have continued to work toward a comprehensive settlement with the Crown. Now that we have confirmation that we are moving to Alert Level 2, and pending a few matters left to resolve in our settlement negotiations, we are hoping to be able to initial our Deed of Settlement next week. We will keep you updated on this.
If we initial our Deed of Settlement next week, we anticipate being able to bring you the Deed to vote on in the middle of this year. We will provide more detail on this over the coming weeks.
Make sure you are registered, and your details are up to date.
In the meantime, if you are 18 years or older, make sure you are registered to vote. If your contact details have changed in the past year, make sure you update these. Register or update your details here via YourIwi.
We thank you for your patience and understanding whānau, and we look forward to sharing the next steps in our settlement journey with you soon.
Mauri ora!
Leith Comer
Chairman, Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust