Long-serving Kāpiti kaumatua steps down from Council role

Rakauoteora Te Maipi – known to many as Koro Don – may be stepping away from his role as Kāpiti Coast District Council’s kaumatua but his fire for te reo Māori and Māori culture will continue to burn. 

After a more than 30-year association with the Council, including 25 years as the official kaumatua, Koro Don will retire on 20 December.

He was farewelled at a luncheon on 10 December attended by around 200 people, including former mayors, mana whenua and whānau.

“In Māori we say there is no such thing as retirement, and I don’t think I’ll get much free time,” Koro Don says.

Photo caption: Koro Don, pictured with wife Pat, at his farewell event on 10 December. See larger pic.

“As Tuhoe say, once the fire is lit, you have to keep it burning.”

Originally from Gisborne, Koro Don trained as a teacher and came to Kāpiti in the early 1970s. Welcomed by mana whenua he has been on the marae at Whakarongotai since 1983.

He first started working with the Council in 1994 to teach te reo Māori and provide cultural guidance. Over time the role grew and changed, and he became the Council kaumatua in the late 1990s. 

He has provided guidance and support for five mayors (Alan Milne, Jenny Rowan, Ross Church, K Gurunathan and Janet Holborow), councillors, chief executives, and staff across the whole Council, attended tangihanga and hui, led pōwhiri and blessings and offered tikanga and te reo support to many.

“As the role evolved, I have grown to love the position.

“I loved uplifting the language and culture and seeing it grow within the Council, seeing its commitment and partnership with Māori and non-Māori, and the development and growth of Māori in specific positions within the organisation.

“I wanted to stay in the job but the younger you get the harder it gets!”

He’s seen changes across Kāpiti too as people have embraced te reo.

“For example, the Takiri o te Ata kapa haka festival is huge and these days we’re getting 17 schools and 1,000 people at this annual day – some schools have 100 students on stage.”

Kāpiti Coast Mayor Janet Holborow says Koro Don has left a lasting impression on the Council and the Kāpiti Coast.

“Mayors and elected members have benefitted greatly from Koro Don’s wisdom, knowledge and humour,” Mayor Holborow says.

“He gently educates and brings everyone along for the journey and has embedded tikanga Māori into everything we do.

“He was always fully committed and not averse to a 4am start. Whatever the occasion he brought with him deep mana and wairua, and the ability to seamlessly blend the serious with the humorous, which is such an important skill.

“His gentle presence and generosity will be greatly missed at Council and we thank him for all his mahi over the years.

“Ngā mihi nui Koro Don, I know we will continue to see you out in the community doing what you do so well.”