Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust Board elections were held in May 2024, and at the following Board hui in April 2024, a full quorum of Board members appointed Rawiri (David) Tawhai-Bodsworth as the Board chair for the trust.
As the new Board Chair, Rawiri shared some paku kōrero about his upbringing, whānau and aspirations for Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai.
“Te iwi Māori is going through some really challenging times at the moment, and so a primary focus for me is for Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai to amplify kotahitanga and our commitment to connectedness and togetherness,” Rawiri said.
“Our whānau and hapū across Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai are outstanding at working together and so its really about harnessing that sense of iwi-tanga and strengthening it.”
Rawiri was born in Raetihi and moved to Melbourne, Australia as a child. As a young man, and after a stint woking a range of jobs, including an explosives expert in the Mining Industry, he and his now wife returned to Aotearoa in 1982 to make a life for themselves and start a family.
When they returned to Aotearoa, Rawiri made the decision to go to university as an adult student and get an education. He started out by completing a couple of diplomas in horticulture and then did a Bachelor of Commerce at Lincoln University, Canterbury.
“While I loved university, what really stood out for me at the time was the overt racism that Māori living in Christchurch were subjected to. Being subjected to racism itself was a negative experience, but it set me on a path of learning and discovery of my Māori-tanga and lit the fire within my puku to learn as much as I could and to ensure my tamariki were informed and educated.”
“It also made me extremely passionate about advancing Māori aspirations and the aspirations of my whānau, hapū and iwi and this is something I carry with me to this day.”
Decades later, Rawiri and his wife Ruth have three adult tamariki and two mokopuna – with Rawiri clearly saying that his mokopuna are the love of he and his wife’s life.
“Being a parent is amazing, but there are no words to describe the pleasure of being a grandparent. I feel very blessed indeed and again, it reaffirms to me, the importance of us coming together as an iwi. It really is to secure the best possible future for our mokopuna.”
Rawiri is a current trustee of Whakarongotai Marae and has strong whakapapa connections to Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Muaūpoko, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Rārua and Rangitāne.
Rawiri is currently a trustee on the Whakarongotai Marae Committee and has strong whakapapa connections to Te Ātiawa (Tawhai, Keenan, Matene, Tahuaroa, Kaipuke, Te Amai, Rameka e ngā whānau), Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Muaūpoko, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Rārua and Rangitāne.
Rawiri’s professional background covers a wide range of public sector organisations in Aotearoa as well as time spent in the Australian public and private sectors. He has more than 20 years’ experience in delivering business and digital change kaupapa across a diverse range of organisations.
Rawiri is currently employed as the Whiri Toru (Matihiko) (Digital Programme Manager) for Te Kāhui Raraunga and together with Ruth, runs a whānau business focused on environmental protection through waste minimisation.