Whakatipu welcoming
Te Atamira, Welcoming Communities and local iwi Kāi Tahu have teamed up to bring Te Waharoa ki Whakatipu | Gateway to the Whakatipu to our community. The half-day workshop will run this Saturday and is a first-of-its-kind welcome to place for migrants, newcomers, and any who call Queenstown home.
The event is free to attend and has been created for all who are keen to connect with the stories, people, and culture of this whenua (land), and those seeking deeper connections to place. Ruth Heath, director at Te Atamira, is excited about the long-term vision for the event and what it will mean for our community as it becomes an annual fixture.
“We’re really delighted to partner with QLDC Welcoming Communities and also our Kāi Tahu Advisors Emily and Paris to create this opportunity,” Heath says. “Whakatipu is home to people from all over the world and I think we’re quite distinct for that here in Queenstown. Understanding more about the place that people now call home – the stories and its history, and the living culture of Kāi Tahu can create a much deeper connection to the place.”
A waharoa is a gateway on a traditional Māori pā or village, with formal greetings always surrounding the first time newcomers to enter beneath it – hence the event’s name. Our region is home to people of many different ethnicities, and this event aims to help connect – through kōrero (conversation), introductory te reo Māori, waiata (songs), and kai (food) with a shared lunch at the end.
“We see different people coming through the doors all the time and small groups of people, too, and people from Wānaka who are coming over here and haven’t met others. This exact event is really lovely for that, and connecting to other people in the same situation but from a different country.”
Silvia Dancose is the advisor for QLDC’s Welcoming Communities and is proud to be supporting this initiative, which she says will help to build understanding, connection, and belonging within our diverse communities.
“By sharing the rich history and Kāi Tahu cultural narratives of the Whakatipu basin, the event creates valuable opportunities for newcomers and long-term residents alike to deepen their appreciation of this place and the people who call it home,” Dancose says.
Emily Chirnside, Kāi Tahu Advisor at Te Atamira, says, “The Whakatipu area is home to an increasingly diverse community, and this event provides a culturally grounded welcome to the rohe, helping people connect with the local hītori, tikaka, and living culture of Kāi Tahu in a meaningful way. Our hope is that participants leave with a deeper understanding of the rich cultural history of the area and a stronger sense of connection to the place they call home.”
So far the event has had a good uptake and is receiving a really positive reception – organisers are already excited for what the future may hold. It’s free to attend, however registration is required and spaces are expected to fill up.
“I think it’ll be a really special opportunity for people to attend,” Heath summarises.
Te Waharoa ki Whakatipu will take place at Te Atamira on Saturday, 26 September, from 9.30am. Head to teatamira.nz/events/te-waharoa-ki-whakatipu for more information and to register.
