Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

My Photo
Name:
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Friday, July 21, 2006

Toi moko kaitiaki for other taonga

A New Zealand artist says the preserved heads which are to be returned from Scotland have served as guardians for the large collection of Maori taonga at Aberdeen University.

The announcement the nine toi moko would be repatriated was made by Maori Heritage Council deputy chairman Waaka Vercoe at the opening of an exhibition at the university of work by Wairarapa artist Rhondda Greig.

Greig has been artist in residence at the university for the past year.

She says the exhibition is a response to the taonga in the Marischal Museum.

Greig says when she first went into the museum’s granite vaults, she felt the presence of the toi moko as kaitiaki for the other taonga.

He exhibition includes an installation based on the type of boxes the toi moko were held in for the past century, and a large painted glass window called Tears for the Return Home of the Toi Moko

MP WANTS KIDS TO KEEP HAKA-ING

Maori Party co leader and kapa haka expert, Pita Sharples says more effort needs to be put into keeping ranagatahi involved in kapa haka after they leave school.

Dr Sharples spent much of the week at the national secondary schools kapa haka competitions in the Waikato.

He says it's easy to think, while watching the talent on show in front of 5000 people, that all is well in the Maori world.

However he says there are still so many young Maori, not involved in any cultural or sporting activities, and the challenge is to get them to appreciate the value of being in a group working towards a common goal.

Mr Sharples says waka ama and kapa haka are positive kaupapa, encouraging the use of te reo and tikanga, and develop skills, that are easily transferable once students have left school.

LIBRARIES TAKE MAORI-FRIENDLY APPROACH

In a first for Maori language week, libraries in the Auckland region are linking together to provide better access to Maori resources.

Rewi Spraggon, the Maori manager Waitakere City Libraries, says the 5 regions are all part of Putumohio, which allows library users to source information from any of the libraries.

Mr Spraggon says there has also been an update on the library's search engines, making access using Maori words faster.

That means you can now search for waka, rather than having to use the search term "Maori canoe".

SOLID START TO OPEN FOR CAMPBELL

Maori golfer Michael Campbell has had a solid start to the British Open being played at the Royal Liverpool course, in Hoylake.

The winner of last year's US Open, fired a 2 under par round of 70, which included 3 birdies and a bogey, to finish the day tied for 33rd position.

Mr Campbell, who is from South Taranaki, but grew up in Titahi Bay, is 4 shots off the lead after the first round.

MAORI PARTY SCRUTINISES NATS TREATY LINE

Maori Party co leader Pita Sharples says National seems to be trying to find a way to work with his party.

On the eve of National’s annual conference in Christchurch, leader Don Brash has indicated he might support changes to his party’s Treaty of Waitangi policy so it does not appear so anti-Maori.

His deputy Gerry Brownlee has been pushing for a treaty policy which would allow National to enlist the Maori Party as a potential coalition partner.

Dr Sharples says some people in National have finally come to terms with the fact the Maori Party is neither left nor right.

He says all that matters is policies and initiatives will be beneficial to Maori, and the party will work with parties to the left and right to achieve that.

MAORI ABSENT FROM FARMING FORA

A Maori farming adviser says Maori trusts and incorporations are not participating in the wider industry governance.

Peter Madden from Zennex Corporation is working with Meat and Wool New Zealand to run a series of agribusiness governance and management workshops for directors and trustees of Maori incorporations and trusts.

Mr Madden. from Ngai Tuhoe, says Maori farmers have collectively got enough scale to influence the industry, but the people who run those ventures seem unwilling or unable to use that influence.

He says the first step is to make sure directors and trustees are knowlegable about the industry so they can be effective in wider forums.

The E Tupu workshops aim to help Maori farmers lift production and financial performance through successful governance and leadership.

They will be held in Wairoa, Ruatoria, Opotiki and Tauranga.

FLAVELL PUSHES FOR MORE REO RESOURCES

Waiariki Mp Te Ururoa Flavell says the fact that no extra funding has been allocated by the government towards Maori language resources, is a slap in the face to Maori.

Mr Flavell marked the officila start of Maori Language Week by questioning the government over the issue in the House.

He says teachers of te reo Maori were forced to use inferior teaching resources in their classrooms.

Mr Flavell says he doesn't accept the government's response that enough being spent on te reo Maori.

He says the Maori Party will keep pressuring the government to show more commitment to this country's indigenous language.

WORK STARTS ON MANAWATU KURA

Construction has started on a new combined kohanga reo and kura kaupapa Maori immersion school in Palmerston North.

Tony Waho, the principal at Mana Tamariki, says the school's Maori community is thrilled to see the development finally underway.

He says eventually the complex will cater for 50 preschoolers and 122 children at the kura, and will be another option for whanau keen to have their tamariki learn in a Maori environment.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home