Apakura Rūnanga Trust

Ngāti Apakura celebrates one of our own.🌿Ronelle Kiterangi Baker, appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours. 🌿

For decades, Ronelle has been a champion for mokopuna whaikaha, disabled tamariki and rangatahi. Making sure their voices are heard where the big decisions are made.

He tino tauira koe, e te whaea. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe, Ronelle!

See full story here
https://waateanews.com/2026/06/01/mokopuna-whaikaha-advocate-ronelle-baker-honoured-for-disability-and-childrens-rights-leadership/

Whānau, it’s nearly time!

Later this month, we are coming together for our next Zui — our Tuakiritanga – Ngāti Āpakura Identity Seminar. We have an incredible panel of voices lined up to kōrero about who we are as uri of Ngāti Āpakura.

This is a safe, welcoming space for us to whakawhanaungatanga, learn from one another, and explore the unique heritage and power that our identity holds.

🗓️ When: Tuesday, 23 June 7:00 PM

💻 Where: Livestreamed to our page

👉🏽 Our Panel Includes:
- Tai Huata
- Orrin Kapua
- Ria Hall
- Larissa Wood
- Rohan O’Neill-Stevens
- Sequoia Short
- Craig West
Save the date, bring your pātai, and let’s connect. See you all there!

REMINDER: next week! 🗓️
📍 Join the kōrero: Tuakiritanga - Ngāti Apakura Identity Seminar
See you there!
🗓️ When: Tuesday, 23 June 7:00 PM
💻 Where: Livestreamed from our page.

Whānau, we are just under one week away!
Don't miss this opportunity to connect, whakawhanaungatanga, and listen to our awesome panel of voices kōrero about what it means to be uri of Ngāti Āpakura.

💬 Drop your questions in the comments about what you'd love to know from our panelists!

With our Tuakiritanga - Ngāti Apakura Identity Seminar just around the corner, we’re opening up for any pātai you may have for our panelists early!
🗓️ When: Tuesday, 23 June at 7:00 PM 📍 Where: Livestreamed right here to our page

This way, we can ensure we are covering everything whānau would like to hear about.

If you have any questions for our amazing panel, please drop them in the comments and we will pass them on!

A reminder of our panelists:

* Tai Huata
* Orrin Kapua
* Ria Hall
* Larissa Woods
* Rohan O’Neill-Stevens
* Sequoia Short
* Craig West

Meet our Identity Zui Guest Panelist: Sequoia Short 💡
📍 Join the kōrero: Tuakiritanga - Ngāti Apakura Identity Seminar
Tuesday 23 June 2026 | 7pm | Livestreamsed to our page.

To help lead our zui, we’ve invited a panel of guest speakers to share their insights.

We are excited to have Sequoia join the kōrero!

As a proud uri of Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Maniapoto, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Sequoia is taking her mahi to the world stage. Currently working as a Teaching Fellow at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka (University of Otago), she recently travelled to London to present her innovative education project at the prestigious QS Reimagine Education Conference.

We are so looking forward to having her join our panel of voices!
💬 Drop your questions in the comments about what you'd love to know from our panelists!

Kia ora e te whānau

Earlier this month we held a whenua scoping exercise alongside our kaumātua, kaitiaki and iwi experts to begin shaping a restoration plan for our whenua. Together we explored the history of the whenua at Rangiaowhia - how water once flowed through Te Rua o Tawhiwhi and powered the flour mills. As well as exploring soil sample, analysis which also gave us information on what native flora and fauna flourished here in the past.

The whakaaro from the day will guide the Whenua Development Plan as it takes shape, leading into a wider whānau wānanga in the next month or two. Keep an eye out for more information about this initiative.

Toitū te whenua, toitū te iwi.

On Wednesday 3 June, we held another productive hui with Stats NZ as we continue the mahi to locate our uri across Aotearoa and around the world. Together with Stats NZ, we're developing a dedicated programme of work to better understand where our Ngāti Apakura whānau are, creating a clearer picture of our people and their aspirations.

This work will help Ngāti Apakura better understand where our descendants live and what their needs are. Over time, it will provide a strong foundation for reconnection with whakapapa, strategic planning, engagement, and informed decisions about future services, investment, and development opportunities for our iwi.

As Stats NZ explores improved approaches to census design and data collection, our collaboration helps shape how iwi affiliation is captured, recorded, and reported. This supports more accurate data for Ngāti Apakura and other iwi, contributing to a national record that better reflects who we are.

Pictured Left to Right: Taylor Campbell- Stats NZ, Dr Kahu McClintock, Barlow Anderson, Dan Te Kanawa, Golda Varona- Stats NZ, Hōri Griggs

Meet our Identity Zui Guest Panelist: Rohan O'Neill-Stevens 💡
📍 Join the kōrero: Tuakiritanga - Ngāti Apakura Identity Seminar
Tuesday 23 June 2026 | 7pm | Livestreamsed to our page.

To help lead our zui, we’ve invited a panel of guest speakers to share their insights.

We are excited to have Rohan join the kōrero!

Rohan is a young rangatahi leader whose voice carries well beyond his years. Born in 2000, he was elected to Nelson City Council in 2019 as its youngest ever councillor and went on to serve as Deputy Mayor of Nelson from 2022 to 2025.

A scholar who studied in Germany on a prestigious international scholarship, he is now standing as the Green Party candidate for Nelson in the 2026 general election.

Rohan's perspective as a young, politically engaged uri of Ngāti Apakura will bring a vital rangatahi voice to our kōrero on identity.

💬 Drop your questions in the comments about what you'd love to know from our panelists!

Meet our Identity Zui Guest Panelist: Orrin Kapua 💡
📍 Join the kōrero: Tuakiritanga - Ngāti Apakura Identity Seminar
Tuesday 23 June 2026 | 7pm | Livestreamsed to our page.

To help lead our zui, we’ve invited a panel of guest speakers to share their insights.
We are excited to have Orrin join the kōrero!

Grounded in mana whenua values and guided by a long-standing commitment to our people and place, Orrin brings experience in strategic planning, community advocacy, and policy development. His focus is on supporting outcomes that advance the aspirations of our whānau, whenua, and future generations. His foundation? The powerful whakapapa of his mother's landmark work, Kōrero Tuku Iho, and the enduring story of nanny Wikitoria Te Mamae Pahi.

💬 Drop your questions in the comments about what you'd love to know from our panelists!