The following provide governance, management and administration for the Runaka.
Edward Ellison
Rūnaka Upoko
In November 2018 Edward was chosen by the Hapū at Ōtākou to be the next Upoko rūnaka. Edward has strong whakapapa to the chiefs Matenga Taiaroa and Karetai through his father George Tukitaharangi Grey Ellison, who was also an upoko at Ōtākou in his time.
Edward was born and raised at Ōtākou, attending that Otakou Primary School and later completed a Diploma of Agriculture at Telford Institute Balclutha. He married Alison (Nee Gray) and they raised their two children Brett and Megan on their whanau farm. Today Edward is the proud Poua and five mokopuna with whom he shares his wealth of understanding of the whenua and moana.
Edward has been active for many years in the life of Ōtākou marae and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu especially since the 1980’s when he played a key role as a treaty negotiator in Ngāi Tahu’s successful claim the crown for breaches of the Tiriti o Waitangi.
During the 1970’s a proposal to build an aluminum smelter at Aramoana was a major environmental battle that shocked the Otago harbour communities. Edward and a team from the Rūnanga joined forces with the wider community to prevent it happening. He has built up a broad understanding of environmental and land issues that affect Ōtākou and Ngāi Tahu, he was a key instigator in the setting up of Kāi Tahu Ki Ōtākou Ltd now known as Aukaha Ltd with it’s particular focus on Resource Management Act issues; Edward recognised the need to forge strong relationships with local government across the region and nationally. He is clear in what a partnership with our a treaty partners should look and feel like and has represented Ōtākou and the iwi at many levels to improve outcomes for the iwi and for our children after us and yet he still finds time for the life of the marae - socialising, supporting whanau through tangihanga, oversight as a marae trustee and giving pōwhiri to our manuhiri.
In the New year’s honours list in 2015 Edward was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to Māori and conservation. A proud moment for him, his whanau and the hapū. Currently Edward is Chairperson of the NZ Conservation Authority, co- chair of the Enviroment and Risk committee for the Otago Regional council, on the Audit and Risk Comittee, LINZ member, Director of the Remarkables Station National Trust and Director of the Mana Rangatira Governance Group with National BioHeritage National Science Challenge
Rachel Wesley
TRONT REPRESENTATIVE
A descendant of Taare Wetere Te Kaahu and Tahatu, Rachel was raised as one of the ‘pā kids’ at the Ōtākou kāik, spending a huge amount of time at the marae and traversing the whenua with her pōua Tātane Wesley. Ōtākou values, whakapapa and history were ingrained into her by Tātane and a number of influential taua and aunties from her hapū during the 1980s and 1990s. No surprises when Rachel left school to work on the marae, participating in the restoration of the whakairo on Tamatea and the whare karakia, and cataloguing taoka in the marae whare taoka!
Rachel has been an active participant in rūnaka affairs since her teenage years, serving her ‘apprenticeship’ in the wharekai. By her late 20’s, Rachel was a member of the former Executive Committee, and Chair of the rūnaka’s Whānau Kōmiti. In recent years, Rachel has served as Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Alternate Representative to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Rachel has also represented Ōtākou and Araiteuru rūnaka in a number of different forums, but especially in cultural heritage spaces. Having trained as an archaeologist and working within the museum sector, Rachel holds a strong background in cultural heritage management, however she also holds extensive interest in hapū development and environmental kaupapa. Rachel is currently employed as Chief Executive of Aukaha (1997) Ltd, a rūnaka-owned entity that works on behalf of rūnaka from Waihao south to Hokonui. Rachel is also part way through a PhD investigating mahika kai practices evident in the archaeological record on the Araiteuru coast, with a focus on the wāhi tūpuna at Makahoe.
Most importantly, Rachel has contributed 5 children and 2 mokopuna to the whakapapa of our hapū.
Nadia Wesley Smith
Chairperson
He uri nō te whānau Wetere Te Kāhu, Nadia is a descendant of Tātane Wesley, Tāre Wetere Te Kāhu, Pirihira Kuku and Tahatū. Growing up on the marae, under the watchful eye of many taua, pōua and influential aunts, Nadia has been grounded in her Ōtākou-taka from a young age.
In 2005, Nadia left Ōtākou and spent time overseas in Australia and Scotland, where manuhiritaka helped to develop her management skills in the Tourism and Hospitality Industries. These were further honed on her return to Te Wai Pounamu, with 10 years spent living between Tāhuna and Te Ana-au. During this time Nadia returned when she could to engage in kaupapa reo and whānau wānaka ki Ōtākou.
In 2021, Nadia moved back to Ōtākou with her partner and two young tamariki. She spent two and a half years working as the Rūnaka Manager, and is currently working as Manager, Māori Partnerships at Dunedin City Council. Nadia has experience with governance, process design, strategy creation and community development.
Nadia was elected Rūnaka Chair at the November 2023 AGM.
Andrew Rouvi- Chief Executive
andrew@tro.org.nz 0274820241
Natalie Karaitiana - Museum Curator
Ruth Greer
Connor Ropata- Kaitoko
Julz Asher - The Wharekai Co-ordinator