Te tangi o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua. Raiera te atua he tohu he rangatira. Huia, huia, tūia, tūia. Ka tukuna te reo mihi ki a koutou e ōku Whānau.

 

Ko Reno Skipper tōku nei ingoa. He uri nō te Whānau Wiapo, nō Ōtamatea Marae. 

 

I am passionate about education and Te Reo Māori, hence the reason I gained a degree in both areas from Auckland University and continue to study with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in order to increase my proficiency even further. This is the reason that I would like to use the honorariums (trustee payments) that I receive to assist any kaupapa that will increase the quality of Te Reo Māori for Whānau from Te Pounga or Ōtamatea Marae. Tumuaki at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāringaomatariki in Ōruawharo and living in Maungatūroto near the marae helps so that I am actively looking after the ahi kā, attending most kaupapa there.

 

I believe it is the trustee’s responsibility to bring more resources back to the marae that they are responsible for.

 

I will koha the rest of my honorarium from Te Reo Māori initiatives to the marae that I represent if I am chosen as a trustee. On the Taumata of the marae I have made myself available to whānau and have worked with the marae, hapū and iwi to improve the service of the marae being transparent through meetings.

 

I have experience in strategic planning using marae meetings and AGM’s to engage with whānau; reporting back on the previous year’s mahi and forecasting future growth and plans to the beneficiaries.

 

Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitu te whenua.

 

We need to look after our whenua and prevent the selling of Te Uri o Hau land. Not one more acre.

 

I will act with integrity as a trustee to ensure that whānau are getting the best representation that they can get. I walk the talk in the Māori world. Mauri tū, mauri ora.