Te Kao elders’ royal invite

Published date29 September 2022
Yerkovich (nee Everitt), 81, and her Aunty Hapai Wiki — both originally from Te Kao — were living in Auckland at the time, when her aunty asked her to come by after work

“I was working at Housing New Zealand when she called, sounding very worried,” Yerkovich explained.

“It wasn’t until the afternoon that I finally got to her place and soon as I got there, she just pointed to this letter on the mantelpiece.

“Once I saw it, I said, ‘Aunty! This is a message from the Queen’!”

Yerkovich said the envelope’s royal seal was instantly recognisable and filled her with excitement and intrigue at what the letter entailed.

Her aunty explained a group of Te Kao kuia and kaumātua (the Rev Puti Murray, Maringinoa Wiki aka Aunty Booby, Lucy Wiki, Rangi Karena, Matehira Natanahira, Glass Murray, Wini Murray, Pia Ihaka, Joe Wiki, Apotoro Paihere Brown and Manu Heke James) had been invited to attend a special 150-year celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, on February 6.

The year was 1990 and the momentous occasion would be made even more special thanks to a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The royal couple were set to visit New Zealand and would attend the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, before making the trip north.

“Straight away, I said, ‘Aunty, I will take you’!” Yerkovich said, who was determined to make sure her aunty and elders got to their destination safely.

Yerkovich and her Aunty Hapai made the trip to Paihia on Waitangi Day eve, where they spent the night with Yerkovich’s brother, Joe Everitt.

She said the rest of the kuia and kaumātua met them in Paihia, with everyone on a high about their great adventure.

“The darlings never slept all night, they were so excited!” Yerkovich said.

“The next day they were all dressed in their most beautiful clothes, they were simply gorgeous and laughing hysterically about each other’s makeup.

“Oh it was such a lovely day, like being with a group of happy children, words can’t describe it.”

The group left in an entourage of about three or four cars en route to Waitangi Treaty Grounds the next morning and got as far as the Waitangi One Way Bridge.

Yerkovich recalled it was a magnificent summer day, with not a hair out of place on her kuia and kaumātua, as they made their way to one of the most important days of their lives.

At the bridge, they were stopped by an army official, who saluted them and advised they could not proceed.

“I told him, excuse me Sir, but we...

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