Te Rā Tū, the new Tairāwhiti Māori Land Court opened in November, with some 100 people gathering for the official event.
Mau hikaia! Mau hikaia!
Te ahi e ko Rangi matua
Te ahi e ko Papa matua
Te ahi e Rangi, te ahi e Papa
Tēnei te kaunoti tapu
Hei hika atu mō te tipua
Hei hika atu mō te tawhito
Ka whakamaranga! Ko ātea te hōmai e
Hei tinei e, hei tinei – tū mai te rangi!
Rub and kindle the fire with friction!
The flames of Rangimatua the sky father
The flames of Papamatua the earth mother
The inferno of Rangi and Papa
This is the sacred fire stick
That ignites the fire gods
That ignites the ancients
That awakens! That clears the way
That obliterates, eliminates until it extinguishes and a calm new day arises.
On Friday 29 November, the old Māori Land Court on Lowe Street Gisborne was closed, and the new court opened on Gladstone Road. A crowd of approximately 100 people gathered to witness this transition through the blessing and official opening by Sir Derek Lardelli and his team of kaikarakia of Te Rā Tū, the new Tairāwhiti Māori Land Court.
Through them, the wairua of the iwi of Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa and the other tribes of the district continue to pervade this beautiful space where the tikanga of our entire region’s voyaging, settlement and cultural traditions are on full display for all those who visit to enjoy and appreciate.
Chief Judge Caren Fox and resident judges, Judge Wilson Isaac and Judge Nathan Milner, were joined by Chief District Court Judge Hemi Taumaunu, and other members of the Māori Land Court Bench for a special sitting that followed the opening ceremony. In attendance were iwi leaders, Her Worship the Mayor of Gisborne, Rehette Stoltz, Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri officials, and former and current staff.
The office is spread over three floors with reception and research facilities on the ground level, Te Rā Tau, mediation and meeting rooms and staff office space on Level 1, Te Rā Pae, and the courthouse and the judicial chambers on Level 2.
Tā Derek Lardelli leading Chief Judge Fox and Tairāwhiti student Arohea Pewhairangi through the blessing ceremony.
Front row, from left: Judge Milner, Deputy Chief Judge Coxhead, Chief Judge Fox, Chief District Court Judge Taumaunu and Judge Isaac. Back row, from left: Judge Thomas and Judge Mullins.