“Jackie Butcher is an original named claimant for Wai 1791. We acknowledge the wisdom and foresight of Jackie and the other original claimants who made the claim on behalf of Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketu on 1st September 2008. Jackie is a humble person who understands the need to ensure a secure future for the generations to come. Jackie, with the support of his hoa rangatira, Carol, has decided not to join the Te Roopū Whakahaere board. They fully support this process and watch with genuine care and interest.”

Kiharoa and Hariata (Matenga) Tapsell

Stanley and Mary (Tapsell) Parker

Kiharoa (Gilly) and Te Atawiki (Nicky Reti) Parker

These are the Pou or Foundations of my “why”.

My Children, Grand Children and Great Grand Children are the reason I will continue.

I am a dedicated advocate for environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and community well-being. With a background in market gardening, native nursery management, and bokashi composting, I work to create a circular economy that honours our Māori heritage. I’m currently developing a Hapū Environmental Plan with a focus on GIS mapping and cultural frameworks. Additionally, I have a strong background in public health, having worked in the COVID call center for Te Arawa and Ngāpuhi, as well as serving as a diabetes community coordinator for Diabetes NZ. I am also deeply involved in the claimant space for my Ngāpuhi hapū, Ngāti Korohue and Te Uri Taniwha, as well as claims in all the Kaupapa Inquiries and an application in the High Court for MACA. My goal is to create a sustainable future for my whānau and community, rooted in respect for the land and our traditions.

It is not just us sitting at the table. It is all our tupuna. They sit on our shoulders and whisper in our ears “ka pai, keep going.” For me, whānau voice is most important. All our whānau have a right to be heard. I am here to ensure that all our whānau are represented in this mahi, and that the aspirations of our tupuna – those that have gone before us – are fulfilled.

My Tupuna are Rangiuru and Whakaue; and Tutanekai and Hinemoa. My koromatua is Te Rorooterangi.

Moerangi grew up in and around Maketu and Te Puke and raised her family of four boys in Maketu where she was deeply involved in Whakaue Marae, the school, the surf club and the community in general. She has strong networks throughout Maketu and with Te Arawa ki Tai through Tapuika Waitaha, Ngāti Whakahemo and Ngāti Makino.

As a qualified, registered senior social worker with a degree in bicultural social work and supervision, Moerangi works with whānau from many different backgrounds and circumstances. She sees the potential for iwi, hapū and marae to provide functional and effective support for whānau who aspire for a better life for themselves, and their children and mokopuna. She understands the close link between a healthy environment and the wellbeing of our people. Moerangi has over two decades experience in governance roles.

With Maria Horne’s passing in 2019, Moerangi, as Chairman of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketu, is now the claimant for Wai 2147.

Maketu is my Turangawaewae. I know the channels of the estuary and the rocks and reefs off the point intimately. I remember many of the old people and families well. I want to be part of bringing closure to the Wai claims, which have gone on for too long now. My father, Huia, started the Wai 1791 Claim and I want to finish it – for him and for our wider whānau and iwi. It’s about ensuring that Maketu retains its identity, and that we retain what is rightfully ours, and regain what has been lost. And in these uncertain times, with climate change and the current political environment, it’s also about moving forward positively into the future – together.

Tupuna: Hineiturama; Hans Hommen Felk

Great Grandfather: Retireti

Koroua: Kouma

Father: Huia

Darryl is an entrepreneur and operated several successful businesses before retiring. He has a sound understanding of governance and commercial law. He has skills in business planning and financial management and is experienced in liaising with diverse groups to achieve productive outcomes. He has also been active in several sporting codes and chaired and managed several significant sporting clubs and events in skiing, yachting and golf. He continues to actively ski, fish and dive – Mai Maketu ki Tongariro.

He is concerned about the impact on Maketu of climate change, proposed new legislation, and the growing uneasiness between the government and Māori and believes that we need to be on top of the issues and bring it all to the table. He is proud to be picking up the mantle of his father’s claim, Wai 1791, and working with the other claimants, and Ngāti Whakaue ki Uta, to bring closure to the claims kaupapa.

We do this mahi not for ourselves but for future generations. We need to settle the claims now, in our lifetime, and not leave the claims for our children and mokopuna to pick up. I’m asking all our whānau of Maketu to come together and tautoko this process.

Me whakakotahi tatou!
Kia kaha! Kia māia!
Me mahia te mahi!

Petera is a descendant of the six Koromatua of Ngāti Whakaue.

He is a member of the Ngāti Whakaue paepae at Maketu, and works tirelessly for Maketu whānau, Te Arawa ki Tai and the communities of the Western Bay. His professional background includes 9 years in the NZ Navy and the past 30 years in senior positions in the public service, as well as significant governance experience on private, public and iwi boards. He is a certified independent commissioner under the (previous) Resource Management Act and a certified Treaty of Waitangi trainer. He worked with his brother Clem to lodge Wai 325 and is now a co-claimant alongside his brother and nephew.

I am pleased to be involved with our Roopū Whakahaere as we progress the aspiration expressed by many of us for Maketu to have better control of our destiny with the current Waitangi Claims. I am also mindful of the wider context that we operate in and, in particular, want to support the Rūnanga and Whakaue Marae Trustees to manage our many Ki Tai issues alongside our other Te Arawa Iwi here on the Coast.

Tupuna: Tohiteururangi; Ngatai; Hans Hommen Felk; Hineiturama

Koroua: Winiata Tapsell

Terry owns and operates his own engineering company that sees him running crews of indentured tradesmen on industrial sites throughout the North Island and in Australia.

He has more than a decade of experience on iwi boards that represented (at the time) over tens of millions of dollars of iwi assets. He was brought up hunting and fishing in and around Rotorua and Maketu and knows the lakes and the sea intimately. He is a certified Poutiriao for the lakes and Kaitiaki Permit Issuer for Maketu.

He has seceded to Wai 325 and Wai 1791 through his uncle Clem Tapsell.

Ko Maketu te Papatipu o Te Arawa.

We have customary rights here at Maketu that we have to maintain through active kaitiakitanga. These Waitangi claims processes are just the latest in a long line of examples where Ngāti Whakaue ki Tai has had to stand our ground against others – Māori and Pakeha – who try and diminish what is rightfully ours. We need to uphold our customary rights not for us, but for our tamariki and mokopuna.

Tupuna: Hans Homman Felk; Tohi Te Ururangi.

Matua: Taa Tapihana; Taka Tapihana.

Liam is a Registered Collector of Taonga Tuturu, licensed through Manatu Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Before retiring, he ran his own businesses in and around the Bay of Plenty.

Since retiring, he is kept busy with iwi mahi including cultural monitoring onsite where development is occurring, monitoring archaeological sites of interest and working with rangatahi, teaching them about taonga and the taiao.

My mother is Maria Horne and part of her legacy are the two Waitangi Claims that she led – Wai 1475 and Wai 2147. My aim is to complete the work that she started on behalf of our whānau, the descendants of Ieni Tapsell, and for Whakaue ki Maketu. I am committed to continuing my mother’s legacy and her work in Maketu, for the benefit of future generations.

Tupuna: Whakaue Kaipapa; Ieni Tapsell

Apirana is a builder by trade and served in the army as an engineer for 8 years. He has a young family and is raising his daughter with te reo Māori as her first language. Apirana is deeply committed to continuing his mother’s legacy given her significant contributions to Maketu. The Wai 1475 claim is a starting point. He has seceded to this claim through his mother, Maria Horne, and hi grandmother, Theresa Ngawaka Horne.

I have joined Te Roopū Whakahaere because I want to see fair justice for our whānau in what rightly belonged to them. I want mana restored to our tupuna and the lands they left to us. We owe it to our tupuna to do this respectfully and show our mokopuna the values of manaakitanga, kotahitanga and tikanga – working together, finding the way forward for the betterment of all our whānau.

Tupuna: Tohiterururangi

Kuia/Koroua: Ieni Tapsell

Matua: Richard Whenuariri Tapsell

Willie is a builder by trade, and, armed with a Bachelor in Applied Science, spent his later working years teaching his trade as a qualified Adult Education teacher. He also led the bicultural treaty training at Wintec and Bay Polytechnic for many years. He has extensive governance experience on iwi and community entities. Willie grew up in Maketu and he and his wife Judy have created a whānau homestead here for their four children and many mokopuna.

Willie has seceded to Wai 2147 through is father, Richard Whenuariri Tapsell.