Rangitāne o Wairau

09/06/2026

📸 The Right of Deciding - A Rangitāne Photographic Exhibition

Whānau are invited to the opening of The Right of Deciding, a photographic exhibition exploring the Rangitāne struggle to retain authority over land, identity, memory, and history in Te Tauihu.

📍 Te Kahu o Waipuna
🗓 Saturday 13 June
⏰ Gather at 9.45am for a 10am start

This exhibition honours the enduring position of Rangitāne o Wairau in asserting our right to determine our own relationships with whenua, occupation, and political authority, despite ongoing efforts to diminish these rights.

Opening in the same week as the anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Port Underwood on 17 June 1840, where Ihaia Kaikōura signed on behalf of Rangitāne, the exhibition brings together images of landscapes, waterways, and places shaped by memory, encounter, and survival.

Presented alongside He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 Years of the Waitangi Tribunal, this exhibition connects our local histories with wider national kōrero around Te Tiriti, justice, and redress. It is a chance to reflect on the strength of Rangitāne presence and the importance of our stories in shaping identity, belonging, and place.

🗓 Exhibition dates: 13 June to 9 August

08/06/2026

Join us this Thursday for Ngā Wai e Rima 🌿
Come along to connect, reflect, and be part of the kōrero in a welcoming space.
📍 Rangitāne House Foyer
🕠 5:30pm
We’d love to see you there!

You are warmly invited to the opening of Ngā Wai e Rima – The Five Waters of Blenheim. 🌊

Ngā Wai e Rima brings together the histories and traditional names of five waterways central to the Blenheim landscape. Developed as part of the Space Create project and the Market Street refresh, the exhibition complements Keelan Walker’s artwork on the Market Street construction screens. The artwork and exhibition share the stories, knowledge, and cultural connections associated with these waterways.

Thursday 11 June, 5.30pm
Foyer, Rangitāne House 🌇

The exhibition will be open to the public from 12 June to 31 July. 😁

08/06/2026

Titiro e te whānau! 👀

Only 16 days to go until Te Kaiaotanga o te Reo 2026 ki Whakatū 🔥

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.tekaiaotangaotereo.co.nz

KINGS | Te Kaiaotanga o te Reo 2026

He kaihanga puoro Māori, he kaiwaiata, he kaitito waiata hoki, kua tū a Kings hei tētahi o ngā tino ringatoi motuhake o Aotearoa.

Since bursting onto the scene with his triple-platinum hit Don't Worry 'Bout It, Kings has gone on to become one of New Zealand's most streamed independent artists, with more than 100 million streams across his music catalogue.

Known for his high-energy performances, sharp humour, and unique cultural perspective, Kings has collaborated with some of Aotearoa's biggest names including L.A.B., Fat Freddy's Drop, Sons of Zion, and Stan Walker.

Nau mai, haere mai ki te whakarongo ki ngā whakaaro me ngā wheako o tēnei ringatoi whakaaweawe i Te Kaiaotanga o te Reo 2026.

Kua wātea ngā tīkiti! - https://www.tekaiaotangaotereo.co.nz/
Tēnā koutou, kei ō mātou kaitautoko

08/06/2026

🌿 Ruakanakana Waharoa Unveiling 🌿

E te iwi, nau mai, haere mai

Whānau! Please join us for the unveiling of a waharoa at Ruakanakana, created to honour the place where our tūpuna are laid to rest, and where they once lived
This is a chance for whānau to come together and acknowledge our connections to this whenua.

📍 Location
Ruakanakana School Site
1238 Kaituna-Tuamarina Road

📅 Date
Sunday 21 June 2026

⏰ Programme
10.00 am – Waharoa unveiling
12.00 pm – Kai
Approx. 2.00 pm – Close (following pack down)

👉 Please register your attendance to help with planning by emailing: [email protected]

We look forward to sharing this moment with you.

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

This week, members of our Board and Management team had the opportunity to visit Waikārapi to check in on the progress being made on site. Pictured are the foundations of some of the affordable duplexes being built.

3 houses are complete, work underway on a further 10. Things are now well and truly moving at pace!

There are still opportunities available for interested whānau. Find out more at www.waikarapi.nz.

04/06/2026

🎓 Rangitāne NMIT Scholarship Recipient

We are proud to announce that Talia Macdonald has been awarded the Rangitāne NMIT Scholarship 💙

Talia is currently in her second year at NMIT, studying towards a degree in Viticulture and Winemaking.

Talia is a powerful example of our wāhine Māori – balancing mahi, study, and whānau. She is an inspiration for our māmā who are working hard to build better futures, and a beautiful role model for her tamariki.

The Rangitāne NMIT Scholarship, proudly sponsored by NMIT, supports our ākonga of Rangitāne whakapapa to achieve their goals and give back to their whānau, hapū and iwi.

We wish you all the very best in your continued success. Ka mau te wehi, Talia!

#4 Hohua > Joshua > Nalder > Waru > Talia
#6 Hoani > Rea > Katherine (Coggie) > Nalder > Waru > Talia

Photo: Talia Macdonald receiving her Rangitāne Iwi Award from Nicole Akuhata (Pouārahi – Director Māori and Learner Success, NMIT) and Talia and her tamariki.

03/06/2026

Keep an eye out around Blenheim as the town centre refresh gets underway — vibrant Māori artwork will begin to appear across site fencing, bringing our waterways and their stories into the public space.

This kaupapa is led by local artist Keelan Walker (Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō), drawing inspiration from five of our awa: Waikura (Taylor River), Takapūkoko (Doctors Creek), Waiariki (Fultons Creek), Pounaho (Murphys Creek), and Ōpaoa (Opawa River).

Through this mahi, the traditional names of these waterways are being brought back into everyday use — names that carry the histories, relationships and mātauranga of our people and our environment.

Keelan has worked alongside Dr Peter Meihana, Te Matahiapo Hynes and Judith MacDonald as part of a wider cultural mapping project to recover and reconnect these kōrero. The result is a powerful and contemporary expression of identity, place and responsibility.

We are also pleased to be working alongside Marlborough District Council on an accompanying exhibition, Ngā Wai e Rima, launching at 5:30pm on Thursday 11 June in the lobby of Rangitāne House, and running through to 31 July.

If you’re in town, we encourage you to come along to the opening, or take a moment as you move through the town centre to reflect on the stories of the awa that run through and alongside us.

03/06/2026

Ngā mihi nui to our cousin and Kaikōkiri Toi Māori Keelan Walker for capturing these moments from Saturday’s tikumu harvest in our alpine rohe.

These photos reflect the mahi — but they also show the warmth of our whanaungatanga, ako, and the passing on of knowledge across generations. From learning how to identify and gather tikumu, to sharing kōrero on the whenua, this was a special day led by our weavers and kaumātua.

We remain grateful to Nanny Marg Bond for her leadership, and to all those who contributed their time, skill, and mana to this kaupapa.

The tikumu gathered will go on to be used in the creation of kākahu currently being woven — a tangible expression of the mātauranga and collective effort behind this mahi.

02/06/2026

On Saturday, as part of an ongoing kaupapa led by Rangitāne to revitalise the traditional art of kākahu weaving, a small group of whānau travelled into the alpine areas of our tribal rohe to harvest tikumu.

Guided by one of our most respected weavers, Nanny Marg Bond, who has dedicated nearly 50 years to the practice of raranga and whatu, the group spent the day learning about the identification, harvesting, and cultural significance of this important taonga species. Nanny Marg was supported by a number of experienced weavers and whānau who were eager to share their knowledge and participate in the kaupapa.

Tikumu, also known as Mountain Daisy, grows in the alpine regions of Aotearoa and has long been used in traditional weaving practices. The harvest provided an opportunity for whānau to reconnect with the whenua, learn customary harvesting practices, and strengthen knowledge of this taonga within a supportive whānau environment.

Following the harvest, the group returned to Omaka Marae where the tikumu was processed and prepared for future use. The material gathered will contribute to one of the kākahu currently being woven by the rōpū.

Many of those who attended spoke about the value of learning not only from Nanny Marg, but also from the many talented weavers who generously shared their skills and experience throughout the day. We were especially privileged to have Aunty Hinekawa Manihera travel from Whakatū alongside her moko and whānau to tautoko the wānanga.

This is just one part of a wider programme of wānanga taking place throughout the year as we continue to strengthen and revitalise our weaving traditions under Rangitāne and Kurahaupō tikanga.

If you are interested in attending or participating in future wānanga, we encourage you to contact the office for more information.