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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Te Piringa scoops prize

After a year of preparation, a group from three Manawatu-Horowhenua schools took home the top prize from the national secondary schools kapahaka competition in Wellington.

Te Piringa represents Freyberg High School, Palmerston North Boys' High School and Palmerston North Girls' High School.

Lytton High School from Gisborne came second and Auckland's Te Wharekura O Hoani Waititi third.

Tutor Leon Blake says Te Piringa won by keeping it simple, and doing the simple things well.

Te Piringa was also buoyed by the support it got from its region.

PRISON VOLUNTEERS HONOURED FOR WHAKAWHANAUNGATANGA

Kaumatua and kuia around the country who work with Maori prisoners is being celebrated this week.

Around 180 kaiwhakamana visit, support and mentor prisoners by providing spiritual support, connecting them with whanau and iwi and preparing them to reintegrate back into the community.

Desmond Ripi, a Maori service development adviser for the Department of Corrections, says the volunteer programme has proved invaluable since its inception four years ago.

“To turn our people in jail around, we really need these kaumatua having that connection of whakapapa and whakawhanaungatanga back to their families, is crucial,” Mr Ripi says.

Corrections hosted events around the country to thank the kaiwhakamana, as part of National Volunteer Awareness week.

FINAL PLANNING FOR TREELORD SIGNING

The finishing touches are being put on the half billion dollar Treelord settlement.

The Government this week introduced a bill to fully settle the historic claims of iwi and hapu affiliated to Te Pumautanga o te Arawa, and an associated bill which gives a partial settlement to several neighbouring tribes known as the Central North Island Forests Land Collective.

That means the iwi will be able to hear the first reading when they are in Wellington to sign the deed of settlement next week.

Parekura Horomia, the Minister for Maori Affairs, says it's an incredible achievement.

He says one of the biggest gatherings of iwi is expected at Parliament on Wednesday.

Ngati Rangitihi has been left out of next week's deal after a hui at Matata voted against it, but its 3.6 percent share has been set aside and it can reenter if conditions are met.

NEW AVENUE FOR NGATI POROU PROTEST

An East Coast hapu has called a meeting in Rangitukia tomorrow to win support for a breakaway from the Ngati Porou runanga.

The agenda includes setting up an independent government for Te Whanau-a-Takimoana, taking over ownership of Whanga-o-kena, or East Cape Island, from the Crown, and not paying tax.

Jim Perry, who affiliates to Te Whanau-a-Takimoana, says it's a sign of the disharmony on the coast in the wake of the Government's decision to negotiate the region's claims with Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, rather than with the various independent hapu.

He says the runanga has already got the benefits of the fisheries settlement, and now it's going for land as well.

“And the hapu, who really have suffered under the grievance situation, have received nothing, so they’re setting themselves up so that they can now go to Government and say hey, we’re the ones that are now independent of the runanga, we want our share,” Mr Perry says.

Te Whanau-a-Takimoana did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi, so it does not concede any sovereignty to the Crown.

PAORA MAXWELL TAKES TOP TV MAORI JOB

Television New Zealand's new general manager of Maori programming feels he is following in the footsteps of giants.

Paora Maxwell from Ngati Rangiwewehi, Te Ure o Uenukukopako and Te Arawa whanui started his career with TVNZ 20 years ago making children's programmes.

He left in the mid 1990s to start Te Aratai Productions, which has produced hundreds of hours of Maori content for broadcasters.

He says it's a critical job.

“You know I'm following the footsteps of giants in people like Ernie Leonard and Whai Ngati, and they’ve made a huge contribution to establishing Maori programmes, to having a Maori voice in Television New Zealand so I hope to maintain that high standard,” Mr Maxwell says.

He has been prominent in the industry with independent producers' group Nga Aho Whakaari and the Maori broadcasting electoral college, Te Putahi Paaho, which picks the Maori Television Service board.

YOUNG ARTIST IMPRESSES AT OTARA

The artistic and creative side of Manukau is celebrated in a new exhibition by Cerise Palalagi of Te Arawa, Ngai Te Rangi and Niue.

Stephen Bradshaw, the kaiwhakahaere of Toi o Manukau, says Ranea at Fresh Gallery in the Otara town centre has themes of growth, rejuvenation and abundance.

He says Palalagi is primarily a print maker, but she stretched out for the show.

“I'm really quite staggered by the quality of the work and her insight into matariki and she’s really captured it visually through colour, some of the iconic imagery that she uses like manu aute, our traditional kite, some of the forms of people, waka, it gives a real sense of movement,” Mr Bradshaw says.

Cerise Palalagi will give a floor talk at Fresh Gallery at noon on Saturday.

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