Post by Te Ariki Rangitutia

Last week, during Matariki celebrations, I found myself where I often do, sitting at the feet of our kaumātua, listening and learning. One kaumātua shared a story about an event in which he and his wife were invited to open a new office building. After providing tikanga support, they received a $30 koha between them. By the time they paid for petrol, they had to dip into their pension just to attend. As I looked around the room, the quiet nods from other kaumātua suggested this wasn't an isolated experience. It genuinely broke my heart! Many of our kaumātua are incredibly humble. They rarely ask for more because our tikanga teaches us to give what we can. They haven't asked me to share this story, but I couldn't hear it and remain silent. It also made me reflect on how I think about cultural expertise. I value kaumātua in much the same way I value lawyers. Both provide specialist advice that shapes important decisions. Both help organisations manage risk. Both protect the integrity and reputation of an organisation. Most importantly, both bring decades of experience, judgement, and wisdom that no qualification alone can replace. The difference is that one profession is rarely questioned when it submits an invoice, while the other is often expected to carry that responsibility through goodwill alone. As a personal principle, I ensure kaumātua and kaikaranga are fairly recognised for their time, expertise, preparation, travel, and the cultural responsibility they carry. From my perspective, a building isn't truly opened until the cultural foundations have been laid. We readily budget for legal advice, consultants, health and safety, and technology because we see them as essential. Perhaps it's time we thought about cultural infrastructure in the same way. Before your next event, ask yourself one question: ➡️ Does the way we recognise our kaumātua reflect the value they create, or simply the amount left in our budget? Ngā manaakitanga to every kaumātua and kaikaranga who continue to strengthen our people, our organisations, and our communities. Your wisdom is invaluable. ✨ ✨ ✨