In the coming weeks we welcome aboard to the team our new Kaitohutohu Māori Craig Shepard. We’ve asked Craig – who’s really known as “Shep” to give us a few insights into who he is and what his thoughts are about the horizon ahead.
E mihi atu nei ki a tātou katou. Ānei ngā mihi o ngā waka o ōku whakapapa ko Tainui, Kurahaupō, Māmaru, he whakapapa hoki ōku nō Tīwana, Ingarani.
Nōku te waimārie ki te tipu ake i runga i te whenua o Te Tauihu, i kuraina au i konei, i hono māua ko tōku rangatira i konei, i whānau mai hoki i ā māua pepi i konei. Ko Te Moana Raukawakawa tō mātou ūkaipō.
I ngā tau 10 kua hipa, nōku te honore ki te mahi i te ao Māori. I te tau 2010, I whiwhi au i tētahi tūranga ki Whakatū Marae Social Services hei kaimahi ā-iwi, ā-rangatahi. Whai muri I tēnei ka whiti atu ki Te Toki Pakohe I Te Wānanga o Te Tauihu o te Waka a Maui hei kaiako rangatahi. I whakapūmau mātou ko ngā kaimahi o Te Toki Pakohe I te akoranga rangatahi Māori ko Ka Hao. Katahi, ka tīmata au ki te tū hei kaiako reo Māori.
Ka tū hoki tōku rangatira hei kaikako, ahakoa he Pākehā ia māna te reo Māori e ārahi ki tāna mahi. Nō tōna ngana ki te reo tēnei. E tipu ake ana māua, ōtira mātou ko tōku whānau katoa i te ao Māori. Te tangata i ākona ki te kāinga, tūngia ki te marae, tau ana!
I te nuinga o tāku oranga, kua whakatipu au ki te taha o te whānau o Ngāti Koata. Ko ako me whanake ētahi o ōku tino wana. E aroha hoki ana au ki te whakamana i ētahi atu tāngata, nā e hīkaka ana au ki te mahi i ēnei mahi ki te whānau o Ngāti Koata, kia tutuki pai ēnei o ngā whāinga kua manakohia e te iwi nei.