Ā mātou whakapapa

Eighteen regional Papatipu Rūnanga exist to uphold the mana of their people over the land, the sea, and the natural resources.  Each of the eighteen Papatipu Rūnanga appoint a tribal member to represent its interests at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the governing council overseeing the tribe’s activities.  Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was created to manage the collective assets of the tribe and in doing so support Papatipu Rūnanga in a way that allows each of them to exercise rangatiratanga.

Each Papatipu Rūnanga has its own governance structure, and it is through this mechanism that the collective Ngāi Tahu voice in the region is represented and heard at local government and community level.  As an Iwi-Māori Partnership Board, Te Tauraki acknowledges the rangatiratanga of Ngāi Tahu and Papatipu Rūnanga as mana whenua.

Te Tauraki has a key role in supporting Papatipu Rūnanga, as mana whenua, in their leadership of locality development.

Ngāi Tahu recognizes its manaaki responsibility for ngā mātāwaka living within the Ngāi Tahu Takiwā and will ensure ngā mātāwaka representation is provided for within the new health system structure.  This includes at least one of the Directors of Te Tauraki being a ngā mātāwaka representation (currently Norm Dewes).