“E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū”

As each bird has a distinct voice, so too do our ākonga. We celebrate the strength of our diversity.

Kīwhaiaro: Ko Lily Hamblin

Pepeha:

Tēnā tātou katoa

Ko Tawhirirangi tōku Maunga

Ko Mohaka tōku Awa

Ko Ngāti Kahungunu tōku iwi

Ko Takitimu tōku waka

Ko Waipapa-a-iwi tōku marae

Ko Spooner rāua ko Hamblin ōku whānau

Ko Lily tōku ingoa.

I te taha o tōku matua nō Rarotonga ia.

I te taha o tōku whaea ko Tawhirirangi te maunga, ko Mohaka te awa,

he ure nō Kahungunu ia, ko Takitimu te waka, ko Waipapa-a-iwi te marae.

Whakataukī: Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini - “success is not the work of one, but the work of many”

This is a whakataukī I want to apply to this year. To improve kaupapa Māori at Otago Girls isn’t something that is done by one student alone but it is something we work through as students and teachers together.

“My Dad was born in Rarotonga and now lives in New Zealand and my mum is of Kahungunu descent. I never knew much about my Cook Islands Māori side growing up but it is a part of me I want to learn more of. I had the opportunity to go to the Islands for a family reunion in 2020 but unfortunately due to Covid the trip was cancelled. I still have family living on the Islands but I also have a lot of family in Auckland as well. As for my Māori side, it is a culture I’ve grown up with and I’m still learning even now.

“As Māori Prefect I want to be a voice for all Māori students at Otago Girls'. My three main things I want to do as Māori Prefect this year are to encourage all tauira Māori, normalize reo and tikanga Māori, and support kaupapa Māori at Otago Girls High School as I believe it is important to keep Māori culture alive and thriving.”

The position of Māori Prefect was created several years ago through the work of Kāhui Kōrero and the strong desire of our ākonga Māori to have a leader and representative. It is an important part of our school commitment to the principle of the decision making partnership of equals under Te Tiriti.

This is Lily’s fifth year of study at Te Kura Kōhine ki Ōtākou. Last year she attained an Endorsement with Merit in Photography and Physics. She also attained all Excellence credits in our new NCEA standard subject, Te Ao Haka. Now in her third year as a tuakana in Wairua Pūhou, Lily has also been a senior member of Kāhui Kōrero.

Lily’s whanaunga at school are Te Manava Makoare, Meischarla Thomas, Theresa Radka, Aimee Ferrari, Zaraya Katipa, Chloe Fairburn, Jessica Smith, Jah Namana and Tia Te Whaiti.

Their ancestor Kahungunu was a famous leader whose descendants became the third largest tribal group, spreading from Gisborne to Wairārapa. Kahungunu had a number of relationships with chiefly women, among whom Rongomaiwāhine is renowned with a line of prominent leaders.

The tribe’s origins are with the many-named ancestral canoe Takitimu, the largest double hulled waka of the Pacific. Over many years, Takitimu travelled from Hawaikii, originating in Samoa, and going to Tonga, Fiji, Borabora and Rarotonga. Tamatea Arikinui captained Takitimu’s last ocean voyage to Aotearoa, where it first landed at Kaitaia. The waka went on up the East Coast and to Wairārapa with Tahu as captain. Eventually, in his quest for pounamu, the waka was overturned in a whirlpool. There is a cave in Te Anau which was the final resting place of the waka Takitimu and it is commemorated by naming the mountains above, the Takitimu Ranges, which look down on that spot.

Kāti rā mō ēnei wā e te whānau. I runga i te rangimārie, me noho ora mai koutou i ō koutou kāinga.

Nāku noa, nā Whaea Joe Hunter

Kaiarataki, Akonga Māori