Waatea News Update

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

My Photo
Name:
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Monday, March 03, 2008

Ngati Porou shearer golden

Ngati Porou shearer John Kipkpatrick has booked himself a place in the New Zealand team for the world championships in Norway later this year.

He won the open shear against top class opposition at the Golden Shears held in Masterton over the weekend.

Koro Mullins, the commentator at the event, says although Kirkpatrick’s form in the two weeks prior to Saturday’s shear was scratchy, he regained his touch on Saturday night.

“He's dominated the domestic New Zealand scene this year. He’s won every show on the East Coast, went across to Australia, won their big crossbred show over there, South Island shearer of the year, he’s dominated the shows down there, but Johnny Kipkpatrick blitzed everybody, 20 sheep in 15 minutes, fantastic,” Mr Mullins says.

Maori woolhandlers Joanne Kumeroa from Wanganui and Cherie Alabaster from Taihape also made the 10-strong New Zealand team.

HUMAN RIGHTS REMOTE ISSUE

Remote communities have human rights too.

That's the word from Karen Johansen, the newest member of the Human Rights Commission.

Ms Johansen, who affiliates to Rongowhakata, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and Ngai Tamanuhiri, is the principal of Gisborne Girls' High and a member of the Tairawhiti Trust.

She says living on the East Coast makes her aware of how public services like hospitals, roads and communication are vital to the health of a community.

“I think everybody's got a right to have decent housing and to be able to get to a medical centre when they need to and not get whiplash when they ride down the road to get a bottle of milk because the roads are full of potholes,” Ms Johansen says.

She'll try to develop resources on human rights for schools.

SCHOLARSHIPS HONOUR KAUMATUA CONTRIBUTION

Two new scholarships will honour the work of kaumatua in Maori health.

Rangi Pouwhare from the Ministry of Health says the Te Apa Mareikura scholarships will be part of the Hauora Maori Scholarships, which target Maori doing undergraduate and postgraduate health courses.

She says the new $10,000 awards recognise the contribution to the sector made by community leaders like Rongo Wirepa, Anne Delamare, Denis Simpson and Bill Katene.

“Those people who are working with health in the communities and are able to show some leadership with a view that it’s to help our Maori people in the end, we believe that they should be assisted and rewarded, and what better way that through modeling those tupuna who have done it before for us,” Ms Pouwhare says.

She says the scholarships are needed to build up the Maori health workforce.

TRADE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED EARLIER

The Minister for Youth Affairs wants rangatahi to have the chance to enter apprenticeships younger.

Nanaia Mahuta says schools are positive about the Gateway programme, which links students with businesses prepared to take on apprentices.

She says it needs to be widened to cater for those who show interest in trades in their early teens.

The Tainui MP says there are tremendous opportunities both here and offshore for entrepreneurial Maori tradespeople.

“They will get a trade, they’ll want to work in a business for a while and then they will want to own their business. In this day and age when there is such a skill shortage you can pretty much call your dollar as a tradesman and the same skill set is in demand in other countries, they’re facing the same issues as us,” Ms Mahuta says.

SHEARERS LOOK OFFSHORE FOR WORK

Maori shearers are being forced to look for work offshore as a result of the dry summer.

Koro Mullins, from Paewai Mullins, one of the biggest Maori shearing contactors based in the Waiararapa, says with less work, shearers are heading to Australia, the UK and America.

He says areas of the Wairarapa are bone dry and it's not much better further north.

“We’re probably down 2 million lambs not born on the East Coast because of the drought last year. At this time of the year or in the last six weeks we would normally be running abut 28 shearers and because of the dry drought conditions we’re down to 18 so the weather is we’re very dependant on that nice rain and unfortunately it hasn’t come yet,” Mr Mullins says.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN COMBINING FOR POWERFUL WORK

An artist whose work is a centerpiece of the Wellington International Arts Festival says traditional and contemporary forms of Maori art can work well together.

Rachael Rakena from Ngai Tahu and Nga Puhi works in digital media, including video and music.

She teamed up with Brett Graham to produce Aniwaniwa, an installation which combines digital and sculptural elements to give viewers the feeling of being submerged.

It was shown at last year’s Venice Biennale and is on at the Wellington City Gallery until June.

Ms Rakena says the collaboration is an example of the way a blend of modern and traditional forms can create something completely new.

“To me it seems like a natural progression. The range of Maori art being produced or created today is really diverse from stuff that wouldn’t necessarily be recognisibly Maori straight off to the beautifully carved works. I just think it’s all important.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Tradesmen Tom said...

A fascinating blog. Truly insightful.Thank you for the effort of sharing.

4:32 am  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home