Pounamu touchstone gifted to our kura

Read the speech Elsie Pink and Ella Tacon delivered at 2025 Senior Prizegiving on 29 October 2025.

He wai e rere ana, he pounamu, he taonga. Ko te mauri o te iwi, kua kawea mai hei tohu aroha ki ngā whakatipuranga e haere ake nei. Hei whakanui tēnei i te kaha o te rangatahi, hei whakatau hoki i te wairua. Tiakina e koutou tēnei taonga kua tākoha mai.

Tēnā koutou kātoa, ko Ella Tacon tōku ingoa, ko Tūhua te māunga, ko Arahura te awa, ko Arahura te marae, ko Kāi Tahu te iwi, ko Kati Waewae te hapu. 

Ko Elsie Pink tōku ingoa, ko Tawhirirahi te maunga, ko Awapuka te awa, ko Potahi te marae, ko Te Aupouri raua ko Te Rarawa te iwi.

As a parting gift and enduring symbol of our legacy, we present this pounamu touchstone to our kura. Pounamu holds deep cultural and spiritual significance within Aotearoa, embodying strength, unity, and connection to both people and place. It carries wairua, a living spirit that continues to grow as it is touched, remembered, and cherished. Through this gift, we hope to leave behind something that transcends our time here, a taonga that will stand proudly within the school for generations to come. The touchstone represents not only our gratitude for the experiences and opportunities we have shared, but also our wish to provide future students with a grounding point. A place to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Whether at the beginning of their journey or returning as alumni, we hope that all who encounter this stone will feel a sense of belonging and continuity; a reminder that they are part of something greater, woven into the ongoing story of this kura and all who call it home.

This taonga is presented on behalf of the Year 13s and the community as a collective expression of our appreciation and aroha for our time at this kura. It represents all of us. Every memory, friendship, and moment that has shaped our journey here; but it also stands as the result of an incredible amount of teamwork, generosity, and heart. We want to acknowledge Tare Whiunui for his leadership and drive in getting this project off the ground; our Head Girl, Marianne, for her endless organisation and support; the Senior Leadership Team and the Board, for believing in this kaupapa; and our whānau and friends, who have backed us every step of the way. We also want to give special thanks to Matua Mike Murray, Ms Helen MacGougan, Mrs Aline Taylor and Whaea Adrianne Huia, whose knowledge, guidance, and kindness have been invaluable throughout this long and challenging process.

And finally, from us, this project has been a true labour of love. We’ve poured countless hours into planning, organising, fundraising, and even hand-polishing the pounamu ourselves. It’s been hard work, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. Our hope is that this pounamu touchstone will stand as a lasting reminder of the connection we all share, a place for future students to ground themselves, reflect, and remember that they too are part of something bigger.

This piece of pounamu comes from the sacred Arahura River on Te Tai Poutini, the West Coast of the South Island. The Arahura is where the spirit of pounamu lives, a taonga with its own whakapapa, its own heartbeat, and a story that reaches back to the beginning of time.

One of the old stories tells of Poutini, a taniwha who guarded pounamu. While travelling along the coasts of Aotearoa, Poutini saw a beautiful woman named Waitaiki. He fell deeply in love and, fearing she would be taken from him, carried her away to Te Tai Poutini. When Poutini reached the Arahura River, he knew he could go no further, so to keep Waitaiki safe forever, he transformed her into pounamu, resting in the river’s depths.

So when we touch this pounamu from Arahura, we hold the essence of that story and the essence of the mana wahine that Waitaiki was. 

As we gift this pounamu to you, we pass on that same spirit: the strength of Poutini, the beauty and endurance of Waitaiki, and the deep connection to the land and waters that have guarded this treasure for generations. May it bring you protection, guidance, and a reminder of the stories that flow through all of us.

We would now like to invite Matua Mike Murray to come up and bless this taonga with a karakia. 

Finally, we want to invite anyone who walks across the stage tonight, particularly our yr 13s, to touch the pounamu as you walk past and put your mauri into the pounamu. As each of you connect with this stone, may its wairua grow stronger; carrying the stories, strength, and aroha of everyone who passes through our kura.

Ko te pounamu he taonga tuku iho; he hononga ki te whenua, ki te tangata, ki te wairua. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.