Kia hora te Marino

Kia papa pounamu te moana

Kia tere te karohirohi i mua I tou

Huarahi Tika

 

May calm and tranquility be widespread

May the waters that you sail glisten like greenstone and

May the shimmering light guide you safely on your journey

 

Tena ra tatou katoa te whanau, ko Arapeta (Albie) toku nei ingoa, 

He uri no te whanau Paikea, No Otamatea Marae                         

 

I am the potiki, youngest child of Taaringaroa Te Aroha and Kua Pania Shelford. I was born in Paparoa hospital in 1971 and was raised in the Otamatea Te Uri o Hau rohe.

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Marae life was an integral part of my upbringing, spending most of my time there as a young child to this present day. My teachings are that from my ancestors and also from my parents as well as my Tukana, Tapihana Shelford.

 

I am also heavily involved in the Ratana church and I am also the Apotoro for the Otamatea Pariha. Over the years I have seen changes that have affected our whanau. Both commercially and environmentally. These impacts also impede on our whanau way of life and our tikanga in terms of marae based issues.

 

I bring with me a degree in Business Management in supply chain and logistics in the commercial sector as well as a QUT Diploma in Human Resources.

I know that I can contribute widely to the benefit of the Hapu and to the Marae of Otamatea. I have had further education not only in Australia but also in Dubai studying conflict resolution and consent which I majored in honors.

 

I was born into servitude as were all members of my whanau and I have upheld that responsibility with integrity and passion and I will continue to serve the people and the Marae to the fullest of my ability. Personally in the future I would like to see our people and Marae have full autonomy of both environmental and cultural matters and a self-governance for the Marae and its whanau that would benefit us all.

I look forward to what the future holds for us and the journey we will take.

 

Ma ke Mangai hei tiaki manaaki i nga ra Katoa

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