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.

Dunne blasts Labour on Maori vote

The leader of United Future says Labour is still taking its Maori and Pacific Island voters for granted.

Peter Dunne told Radio Waatea talkback host Titewhai Harawira that the rise of the Maori Party is an understandable reaction to Labour's neglect of its Maori supporters.

He says a similar reaction is starting to emerge among Pacific Island voters, who Labour credits with helping it win the last election.

“Labour's in big trouble here because it professes the liberal concern for Maori and Pasifika and others but actually doesn’t treat them that way at all, just treats them almost like cattle to be reared into the voting boxes and giving it the number it needs and I think that’s appalling and I think we’re moving on beyond that,” Mr Dunne says.

He says there's also a need to rethink the existence of the Maori seats, because they maintain a ghetto approach to politics and stop the move to a more integrated society.

REW REHAB CENTRE IN ROTORUA TAKES WHANAU ORA TACK

Rotorua-based Te Utuhina Manaakitanga Trust is building a new live-in rehabilitation centre for people with drug and alcohol problems.

Pam Armstrong, the project leader, says the 15-bed centre will be able to treat up to 60 people with serious addictions each year.

She says the demand for a wellness centre had increased since the closure in 2005 of the central North Island's only in-patient facility - the Kahunui Residential Drug and Alcohol Service in Opotoki.

It will be funded by five district health boards and run on the whanau ora model, looking at all dimensions of those in care and looking at their wellness and potential rather than the drug and alcohol problems.

Ms Armstrong says residents will be taught to awhi and support each other in their recovery and growth.

ARIKI ANGRY AT PEOPLE’S SOVEREIGNTY

The host of a hui in Rarotonga which called for the dissolution of the Cook Islands government says the issues at stake have parallels in Aotearoa.

A group of ariki called the hui after a Sydney-based New Zealand Maori, Bruce Mita, convinced them that as traditional leaders they were the rightful owners of manganese deposts found on the seabed around the island state.

Ted Nia from Te Atiawa and Rarotonga, who manages the marae where the hui was held, says the controversy has woken the ariki up to issues of sovereignty.

He says they're mounting a challenge to Crown ownership or resources.

“That concept has been brought here to Polynesia and imposed on the arikis and I don’t think they agree with the idea that the English Crown, as represented by the Westminster parliamentary system, has precedence over them as ariki over this resource in their own lands,” Mr Nia says.

Cook islands deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate is to meet with the Ariki to spell out their place the constitution.

REFUGEES NEED SUPPORT FROM MAORI

An award winning musician says refugees deserve more support from tangata whenua.

Moana Maniapoto is a regular face at the Mangere Refugee resettlement facility, where four times a year she and her band perform for the new intakes.

Today is world refugee day, but she says many Maori fail to differentiate between immigrants, who make a choice to come here, and refugees who are unable to return to their homelands and must start a new life.

“If yyou look at our culture, we have a history of manaakitanga, of looking after visitors. Refugees, there are only 750 a year. I think New Zealand could up that quota, double it at least,” Maniapoto says.

She says the refugees appreciate any insight into Maori culture they can get.

PAULA POACHING CUTTING MAORI PROFITS

The man overseeing 30 percent of New Zealands paua quota says not enough is being done to tackle paua poachers.

Dean Moana is the prepared foods manager for Aotearoa Fisheries, which this week bought Palmerston North-based processor Ocean Ranch.

He says until farmed paua becomes available in larger volumes, poachers will make their mark on the limited stocks in the wild.

“Industry wide we’ve been concerned for a long time and the lack of resources to actually catch people that are doing it, there are various figures that are bandied about how much poachers actually take, but they do have a significant impact on the catch,” Mr Moana says.

The Maori-owned company is facing a slow-down because there is less demand for luxury products like abalone in the current tight world economy.

ART STILL A CALL TO ACTION

A controversial Maori artist says art still needs to make provocative political statements.

Diane Prince has called her new show at Wellington's Bowen Gallery Kia Hiwa Ra - Alert ... a reference to the hundreds of posters she's put up over the years calling the community to action.

Prince - whose past work has included a New Zealand flag placed on the floor of a gallery and titled Please Walk On Me - says her current large pen drawings include some of her heroes.

“Sort of like a biographical journey of people who have challenged the state. I’ve got a lot of people in Petrie dishes because New Zealand was seen as a great experiment in social engineering, to our disadvantage,” Ms Prince says.

Rangitihi has route back to forest

A Bay of Plenty iwi has been offered a fast track back into the half billion dollar central North Island forestry settlement.

The Treelord deal is due to be signed off next week, with central North island iwi getting shares in a company to run 170,000 hectares of former state forests and a $230 million dollar putea held by the Crown Forestry Rental Trust.

A Ngati Rangitihi hui at Matata last weekend rejected the deal, which would see the iwi get 3.6 percent of the settlement.

Runanga officials allege the vote was lost because of standover tactics by gang members.

Michael Cullen, the Minister of Treaty Negotiations, says the government has come up with a common sense solution.

“That is to take Rangitihi out of the central North Island settlement at this point, to take the allocation which was going to be allocated to them and to add that to the 10 percent reserve the Crown was already holding for any further claims, but also to provide in effect an open entry route back into the deal for Rangitihi if they can sort out clearly their mandating and consenting issues to the collective deal,” Dr Cullen says.

The Ngati Rangitihi Runanga intends to redo the vote next month as a secret ballot.

VOTES AND VIEWS SAUGHT FROM TRANSTASMAN MAORI

A Maori Party candidate says Maori in Australia would move back if they see opportunities for themselves and their children.

Angeline Greensill was in Brisbane for family reasons, and took time out to campaign amongst expatriates.

The Waikato-Hauraki candidate says a big cluster of Maori crossed the Tasman in the early 1990s when the then National government cut benefits and services, and they are still keen to return home if conditions are right.

Ms Greensill says voters are concerned about putting kai on the table and petrol in the car, not about climate change and emissions trading.

FELLOW DOCS HONOUR PARATENE NGATA

A Ngati Porou doctor was honoured today at his home marae.

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners went to Pakirikira Marae at Tokomaru Bay to make Paratene Ngata a Distinguished Fellow for his work in Maori health.

President Jonathan Fox says it's the highest honour the college can bestow, given to people who have made a contribution to general practice, and in Dr Ngata’s case, the contribution he has made as a member of his community,”

Dr Fox says the celebration also marks the tenth anniversary of a programme where medical students visit Ngati Porou to experience a different kind of medicine.

MORE WARDENS ON SOUTH AUCKLAND STREETS

Maori Wardens are helping police in the wake of a series of homicides in South Auckland.

Police in the city are working on three high profile crimes - the shooting of 30-year old Navtej Singh in his Manurewa liquor store, the beating of 80-year-old Yin Ping Yang in her Manurewa home, and the death of 39-year-old bakery owner Joanne Wang, who was run over in a Manukau carpark after her bag was snatched.

Wally Haumaha, the national manager of the police Maori Pacific and ethnic services, says the wardens help communities stand up against crime.

“And our Maori wardens, congratulations to them for providing support to our police and 20 of them being deployed in the south Auckland area to support the homicide investigation team. That for me is real money and real work and people getting out there to contribute and play their part in trying to keep those communities safe,” Superintendent Haumaha says.

KEY SUPPORT FOR TREE TREATY PACKAGE

National's leader says central North Island tribes need to be flexible to achieve settlement of their forestry claims.

John Key says his party is likely to support the half billion dollar Treelord deal, which is due to be signed off in Wellington next Wednesday.

He says there is the prospect of resolving some long term and very complex issues, but it will require give and take from iwi and hapu.

“The giving bit and the taking bit can be quite challenging when individuals look at their share and say ‘Hey, that doesn’t reflect what I think is the appropriate allocation,’ and I suppose in one sense what people have to consider is it worth losing a bit on what they consider they might be entitled to for the overall deal to go through and to get the resources much quicker than they would otherwise get it if they individually negotiated,” Mr Key says.

CARON PAUL QUITS NGATI KOATA JOB

Nelson's Ngati Koata has lost some of its entrepreneurial spark.

Its chief executive, Caron Paul, and her husband and iwi representative Dion Paul, have left to pursue family business opportunities in Chile.

Chairperson Roma Hippolite says over the past three years the former New Zealand entrepreneur of the year helped the Ngati Koata Trust trade out of difficulties, and opened its eyes to new opportunities.

“We investigated several different business opportunities, some of which have come about and working well for us, and some of which we decided not to pursue, but we were very pleased with the work she had done and the help she had provided to the trust,” Mr Hippolite says.

Ngati Koata is finding it hard to find replace someone of Mrs Paul's calibre.

Artist claims Matariki hijacked

A Maori artist who helped revive the commemoration of Matariki intends to lodge a Waitangi Tribunal claim seeking official recognition of the Maori new year.

Dianne Prince, from Nga Puhi and Ngati Whatua, became interested in indigenous celebrations after spending time with First Nations people in the United States in the early 1990s.

But she believes the celebration has been hijacked, after its revival by a small group of Maori artists.

“When Maori in the community have an initiative they're always taken over by big organisations, and they do it to assure everybody that they're still bi-cultural but it really brasses me off because they actually took it away from the whole community, the impetus from the community, well I mean talk about disempowering our people again,” she says.

Dianne Prince is currently showing her work at Wellington's Bowen Gallery.

AOTEAROA FISHERIES SCOOPS UP OCEAN RANCH

Maori-owned Aotearoa Fisheries have taken over paua fishing company Ocean Ranch

Dean Moana, the head of the prepared foods division, says Aotearoa Fisheries has had a joint venture operation with the Palmerston North-based company for the past 12 years.

He says paua quota is fixed and future growth would rely on aquaculture initiatives, which are still in their infancy.

Mr Moana says Aotearoa Fisheries now control 30 percent of the national paua quota, but is hoping for an improvement in international markets.

“The markets are quite tough at the moment. Most of our product goes up into south east Asia and China and they're all suffering from earthquakes and floods and just the worldwide trend of tightening budgets so luxury items such as paua, or abalone as they call it, find it tough in those sort of conditions,” Mr Moana says.

KAPA HAKA GOOD IN CLASSROOM

Kapa haka competitions have positive spin-offs in the classroom.

Robin Roa, the the deputy principal of Ngaruawhaia High School, says the discipline and commitment needed for excellence on stage can be also be applied to school work.

She says the competitions don't need to cut into teaching time.

“When you excite the kids, when you engage them in something that is of interest to them, that engagement carries through in other areas. We've actually taken very little time out of our school, we don't timetable kapa haka or anything... they've actually given up all their weekends for the past two months,” Mrs Noa says.

The National secondary school Kapa Haka championships in Wellington finish today.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY IN TE REO BROADCASTING

A leading Maori language broadcaster says Te Mangai Paho needs to take a greater role in improving the quality of te reo on air.

The Maori broadcast funding agency has told the Maori Affairs Select Committee it is increasing funding for programmes for fluent speakers to 40 percent.

Scotty Morrison, the presenter of Te Karere and an adjunct professor in te reo Maori at Unitec, says quality is as important as quantity.

“I fully support Te Mangai Paho in their initiative to increase funding to Maori language programming. However I feel there's a need for a recognised expert in te reo to be employed to monitor the quality of language being spoken in those programmes because some of those Maori language programmes are actually doing more harm than good with regards to language promotion and the quality of language being spoken,” Mr Morrison says.

GREEN BROWN LINKS TOO IMPORTANT TO WITHER

A dispute between the Greens and the Maori Party over where Maori should put their party vote shouldn't stop them working closely together.

That's according soon to be retiring MP Nandor Tanczos, who has in the past been the Green's Maori affairs spokesperson.

He says both parties share basic values and have a similar world view.

“We can disagree about some things tactically, or on some issues, but strategically we should see that we have interests in common and we should work that way. And to me that means after the election we should be negotiating in a block, because it's very likely that between us we will decide who the next government is,” Mr Tanczos says.

TOO MUCH DNA IN DEEP SOUTH

Southland Hospital is trying to find ways to get more people to their outpatient appointments,

Leanne Samuels, the hospital's interim chief operating officer, says Maori make up a high proportion of those classed as DNA, or Did Not Attend.

That could be because of the size of the catchment, the largest in the country, transport issues and lack of phones.

She says the hospital's Te Huinga Tahi Maori health unit has a role to play supporting people when they do come to the clinics.

Ms Samuels says a pilot programme in South Auckland which text reminders to patients could be one to follow.

Treaty top-ups inevitable

Wednesday June 18

The prime minister expects Ngai Tahu and Tainui will have their treaty settlements topped up.

Under the terms of the settlements a decade ago, the first two tribes to settle large historic claims were guaranteed 17 percent each of the total settlement pool - which at that time was fixed at a billion dollars.

The Labour led government has officially dropped the fiscal cap, even though subsequent settlements have supposedly benchmarked on the earlier ones.

Helen Clark says the evolution of the settlement process means it's now clear it will cost more than a billion dollars to address the damage of the past.

“Their ratchet clauses are built around when settlements all up go over the billion dollar mark and I think it’s inevitable that will be passed at some point so let’s address it when it happens,” Ms Clark says.

The Government doesn't expect the cap to be blown by the central North Island forestry settlement which is expected to be finalised by next week, because most of the half billion dollar putea comes out of accumulated lease payments which are treated separately.

STILL BAD TIMES FOR TE REO IN MAINSTREAM

Parliament's Maori affairs select committee is unhappy with government-funded Maori language programming getting poor time slots.
Chairperson Dave Hereora says a review of Te Mangai Paho's financial management revealed the problem isn't going away.

TVNZ gets five and a half million dollars from the Maori broadcast funding agency for programmes like Te Karere, Waka Huia, and Marae, which continue to be shown at times that are not ideal for reaching large audiences.

“Te Mangai Paho told us it continues to strongly advocate prime time scheduling for all programmes it funds but it has to balance it with a wish for prime time audiences against commercial consideration of broadcasters such as Television New Zealand and the need for te reo Maori programmes to continue to be shown on mainstream free to air television,” Mr Hereora says.

As New Zealand on Air is now funding some Maori content, Te Mangai Paho is able to increase its focus on programmes for fluent Maori speakers.

PROPOSAL TO COMPOST NORTHLAND GREENWASTE

A Maori incorporation and a Northland environmental firm have a cunning plan for 15,000-plus tonnes of Whangarei's rubbish.

Rewarewa D Incorporation and Community Business and Environment Centre, have put a proposal to the Far North Councils to treat the material locally rather than trucking it south to Albany.

Hinemoa Apetera, the incorporation's secretary, says they have an 80 hectare block, right next to the council's recycling station, which could be used to compost Whangarei's green waste.

She says they've been thinking about ways to use the land since the tip closed in the late 1990s.

YOUTH DRUG PROBLEM IGNORED BY COURT

A New Zealand First MP says the mayhem on South Auckland streets isn't helped by a court system that has no answers for drug and alcohol problems.

Ron Mark says people in the justice system can see where teenagers are going wrong, but the Youth Court can't compel them to do anything to tackle their problems.

“We have so many kids in the early stages of family group conferences who confess and admit to drug use and extensive drug use and there is no compulsion in the youth justice system that forces those kids onto drug and alcohol rehab courses. Then we wonder why they continue to get into trouble. It’s the damn system itself that fails those kids because the kids are never going to volunteer,” Mr Mark says.

Most Maori are in favour of some sort of compulsory military training as a way to give rangatahi some self-discipline.

GRANT TO PROMOTE MORIORI CULTURE

The unique place of Moriori within New Zealand has been recognised by the government.

Last night the Prime Minister announced a one-off grant of six million dollars to protect the history of the country's most remote tangata whenua... the inhabitants of Rekohu and Rangiauria... the Chatham and Pitt Islands.

Ruth Dyson, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, believes Maori culture is now accepted as an important part of New Zealand society.

She says a similar effort needs to go into elevating Moriori culture.

The Te Keke Tura Moriori Identity trust will work to preserve and promote the identity, heritage and distinct culture of te iwi Moriori.

“The history is actually very fragmented. There’s very little written history, the oral history is quite dispersed, and it’s going to be a very big challenge to try and pull all those components together so the actual history in its broadest sense can be preserved and then of course comes the next challenge of ensuring that that history is well known and understood and therefore valued by the rest of New Zealand,” Ms Dyson says.

ORAKEI OPENS DOORS FOR MATARIKI CELEBRATION

A wharekai with one of the most beautiful views in the country is opening its doors open to people who have never been on a marae.

All cultures are being welcomed to the Matariki Dinner at Orakei Marae on Saturday.

Organiser Donna Tamaariki says as well as the million dollar view across the harbour to Rangitoto, the manuhiri can listen to top Maori entertainers including Betty Anne and Ryan Monga from Ardijah, Ngatapa Black, kapahaka roopu Te Puru O Tamaki, and the Selwyn College kapahaka group.
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Peace focus in Moriori trust

A proposed centre for peace studies could be one beneficary of a new trust to promote Moriori culture.

Te Keke Tura Moriori Identity Trust was launched at Wellington's Te Papa museum last night with a one-off grant of $6 million.

Maui Solomon from the Hokotehi Moriori Trust says interest from the endowment will allow Te Keke Tura to preserve and promote the identity, heritage, culture and the legacy of peace of the Moriori people of the Chatham islands, or Rekohu.

He says only a small number of Moriori descendants are familiar with the culture and tikanga, and the first priority will be to make available some of that heritage which is locked away in archives and libraries.

“You need resources to be able to produce educational material, online courses, to establish teaching facilities and material on Rekohu. We are also working with Otago University to establish a national centre of peace and conflict studies and there are a number of other projects in the pipeline as well,” Mr Solomon says.

The trust will also counter the popular myths about Moriori, which still persist in some quarters.

MAORI MODEL FOR DEALING WITH MADNESS

A mental health commissioner says all New Zealanders could learn something from Maori about dealing with people with mental illness.

Ray Watson from Kai Tahu and Te Atiawa says discrimination is one of the biggest challenges faced by those with mental health issue.

He says many people still want to go back to the days when sufferers were locked out of sight, but he doesn't see that among Maori.

“Traditionally of course Maori communities are very accepting of difference and so it has been my experience in dealing with whanau and at hapu level and at iwi level that Maori communities are very accepting of people who are different in any way,” Mr Watson says.

He says awareness campaigns such as "like minds, like mine" were having a positive impact.

DUBBNG SOFTWARE SPARKS INTERNATIONAL INTEREST

A Maori production company has attracted international interest for a computer program for film audio.

Kiwa Productions developed its Voice Q software to dub Maori onto English language cartoons.

Rhonda Kite, Kiwa's director, says Voice Q provides frame accurate scripts for actors, and it can be adapted to any language.

She's off the Germany next week to oversee its use on a major studio project being done for Fox International.

MORE MAORI LANGUAGE CONTENT FUNDED

Te Mangai Paho is pushing for more Maori language programmes for fluent speakers.

Dave Hereora, the chair of the Maori Affairs Select Committee, says the Maori broadcast funding agency has shared its plans for a shift in focus.

In the current financial year, 40 percent of funding will go to programmes with a more demanding language content, a similar percentage will go to those targeting second language learners, and 20 percent will go for what's called receptive audiences.

Mr Hereora says the committee sees the change as positive.

“The change has been made possible by broadcasters such as Maori Television Service now having access to New Zealand on Air funding as well and for some time now their programming with a lower Maori language content allows Te Mangai Paho to fund more programmes with higher Maori language content, and I think that's all good,” Mr Hereora says.

The select committee is still concerned at the poor time slots mainstream broadcasters are giving Maori language programmes.

SWABBING TEST TARGETS STREP A OUTBREAKS

The mid north town of Kaikohe has been chosen for a trial to reduce cases of rheumatic fever.

Catherine Turner from Tihewa Mauiora public health organisation says tamariki at eight schools will get mouth swabs to test for the percent of the Strep A bacterium.

If untreated, it can develop into rheumatic fever leading in some cases to heart damage.

Ms Turner says Maori community healthy workers are spreading the message in both te reo maori and English.

“The very strong messages that go out is that sore throats matter and need to be taken seriously and that’s going through all the schools and the children are being taught about cough etiquette and hand hygiene as well as the importance of identifying sore throats and having them swabbed and treated,” Ms Turner says.

No new cases have been reported in Whangaroa since the programme was first trialed, and if it's successful in Kaikohe, expect a nationwide rollout.

KAPA HAKA COMPETITION CREATES POSITIVE FEELING

TSB Stadium on the Wellington waterfront has been resounding to the stamp of rangatahi.

It's the national secondary schools kapa haka championships, and 36 schools are out to show they are the best at Maori performing arts.

Trevor Maxwell from Ngati Rangiwewehi is there to support Te Roopu Manaaki from Rotorua's Western Heights High School.

He says it's a great event which makes him feel proud, given the negative stories about Maori which seem to abound in the media.

Te Roopu Manaaki is keen to win again because Rotorua is hosting the next championships in 2010.

Sonny Sewell farewelled by Te Arawa

Te Arawa is mourning the loss of one of its leading kaumatua and one of the few remaining members of 28 Maori Battalion.

Rangi Te Puru Sydney Sewell from Tuhourangi, better known as Sonny Sewell, died on Friday after a long illness.

He was 85.

Mr Sewell was presented with a Queen's Service Medal in 2004 for his long involvement with iwi and community development, which included leading Tuhourangi's Kapenga Maori Trust sheep and beef farm at Tumunui to its Ahuwhenua Trophy win.

Trevor Maxwell, Rotorua's deputy mayor, says Sonny's death leaves a gap in the community.

"Being a proud menber of Tuhourangi, Ngati Wahiao and Te Arawa, Sonny was involved in a lot of the trusts around Rotorua and both he and his sister, the late Bubbles Mihinui, will be sorely missed," Mr Maxwell says.

Sonny Sewell was buried with full military honours at the Rotorua Lawn Cemetery yesterday.

BETTER ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SOUGHT

A newly-appointed mental health commissioner wants to see Maori and their whanau get better access to integrated mental health services.

Ray Watson, from Kai Tahu and Te Atiawa, says although there are now good Maori health services, many Maori don't know about them or find them hard to get to.

He says the commission wants to see more collaboration across services, which will mean changes in whanau and community attitudes.

"There's difficulty for Maori whanau accessing an integrated service for either an individual in the whanau or for the whole whanau so they get a whanau ora approach or an approach that looks at families being supported to achieve their maximum health and well being," Mr Watson says.

Ray Watson says there is still a major shortfall of Maori mental health practitioners.

MAORI VALUES MEAN SAFER SHEARING

Whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, matauranga and rangatiratanga are the four pillars of success for a top Maori shearing contractor.

Dannevirke-based Paewai-Mullins has become the first rural business to win the Safeguard New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards.

Director Mavis Mullins says the win is an endorsement of the company's commitment to Maori values and principles.

"In the shearing industry health and safety is something people talk about but often not a real feature. What we try to do in our business is use our Maori values to ensure health and safety is more an outcome rather than a process," Mrs Mullins says.

NEW TRUST TO PROMOTE MORIORI CULTURE

oriori culture has just got a $6 million dollar shot in the arm.

That's the endowment fund the government is creating for Te Keke Tura Moriori Identity Trust, which will preserve and promote the identity, heritage, culture and the legacy of peace of the Moriori people of the Chatham Islands.

Moriori spokesperson Maui Solomon says it's a significant step for the iwi, which has fought back from near annihilation after the invasion of the islands by Taranaki tribes in the 1830s.

He says there are a lot of myths to overcome, and material in the archives which needs to be better known among Moriori and non-Moriori.

"The key thing is people can grow up understanding who they are, their Moriori identity. They don't have to hide that from view, when we go to marae we can speak in our own dialect, we can sing our own rongo, our waiata, we can recite our own karaki and our young people can be proud of who they are," Mr Solomon says.

The trust is being launched about now at Te Papa by the Prime Minister, with a video link to Kopinga Marae on Rekohu, Chatham Islands.

RANGATIHI RUNANGA GOES FOR TREELORD REVOTE

The Ngati Rangitihi Runanga is trying to salvage the Bay of Plenty iwi 's place in the Central North Island forestry settlement.

A hui at the weekend voted to back out of the proposed $500 million dollar Treelord deal, which is due to be signed off next week.

Now Henare Pryor, the chair of the runanga, says he doesn't consider the vote is valid, because opponents of the settlement threatened runanga members and hui attendees with violence.

He says the runanga wants to put the issue to the vote again, so it can restore the credibility of the iwi.

Maanu Paul from Nga Moewhare says the Ngati Rangitihi vote, as well as the opposition from three other iwi with traditional ownership of parts of the Kaingaroa forest, means the settlement shouldn't go ahead.

The Government intends to use 90 percent of its central North island forest claims to settle the historic claims of iwi in the region, with other cultural and social redress to be sorted out later.

squeegee bandit doing steady business

Box office earnings are not the only gauge of a film's success.

Producer Rhonda Kite says her Squeegee Bandit, about a south Auckland window car cleaner, is still in demand from international film festivals, two years after its release.

It's also doing well as a rental DVD.

She says the lead character, Starfish, and his philosophy of life resonates with audiences around the world... and gives the film a long life.
Squeegee Bandit's most recent outing was at the Dreamspeakers International Film Festival in Edmonton Canada last week, where it gained good reviews.

Traditional healers form paepae

Maori traditional healers are looking at how best they can police their ranks and protect their knowledge.

The healers met at Tolaga Bay yesterday to pick members for a new national organisation, Te Paepae Matua mo te Rongoa, and to set its direction.

Mita Ririnui, the associate minister of health, says there are now 16 regional groups delivering rongoa Maori services, and the number is expected to grow.

He says healers are keen to maintain the integrity of their practices.

“The Paepae Rongoa will look at how the knowledge is transferred into practice, and ensure there is a tikanga base surrounding the practice as well and also that those who contribute their knowledge have the right of protection of that knowledge,” Mr Ririnui says.

He says rongoa Maori practitioners shouldn't need to compromise to fit in with other Maori health services.

GOOD NEWS IN KAHAWAI DECISION

A Maori fisheries commissioner says the Court of Appeal decision on kahawai quota is positive for Maori.

The court quashed a High Court decision that the Fisheries Minister reconsider the total allowable catch set by his predecessor in 2005.

Instead, the minister needs to consider changing recreational bag limits next time he changes the TAC for the fish, which is popular among Maori and amateur anglers.

Sonny Tau from Ngapuhi says it's good to get some clarity over what has been a long-running issue.

“I'm satisfied the decisions of the court do not change the customary side of our fishing rights but it does alter our recreational side. I think the decision for us is not too bad,” he says.

Mr Tau says Maori commercial interests will also benefit.

YOUNG PLAYER SERIOUS ABOUT MODEL ROLE

A rising indoor netball star is taking her role as a mentor seriously.

Utility player Ashley Timoko has just returned from the World Championships on the Gold Coast, where New Zealand trounced England, South Africa and Australia.

She says she's always aware of younger players coming through, and how she needs to set an example to them of good behaviour and dedication to her sport.

Timoko's next goal is making the national team for the Transtasman under 21 tournament in October.

KAPA HAKA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WELLINGTON

The country's top secondary school kapa haka teams have hit Wellington for the national championships.

The 36 teams will each have half an hour to prove they're worthy of the top honours.

Te Awanuiarangi Black, who tutors the Otaki Te Rahui kura, says it's not just an arts event.

He says the compositions typically make political points.

“I guess it's what gives kapa haka such an edge to it and it’s such a wonderful vehicle for expressing one’s perspective and feelings about the issues of the time and also the solutions or whatever else there might be and I have no doubt the elections this year will be a hot topic,” Mr Black says.

The secondary school national competition runs until Thursday at the TSB Stadium on Queens Wharf.

ORDINARY WOMEN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR MAHI

Eight Maori women who are the mainstay of their communities were honoured at Parliament tonight.

The kuia, who are aged between 60 and 90, have more than 300 years of combined service with the Maori Women's Welfare League.

Sonia Rimene, from the Ministry of Women's Affairs, says many of the women singled out for the annual He Wahine Pumanawa celebration may not be recognised outside their rohe, but they’re the ones at the back of the house doing the work day in and day out in their communities

PARALLELS FOUND IN INDIGENOUS THEATRE

A celebration of indigenous dramatic talent kicked off in Rotorua last night.

The Honouring Theatre Festival beings together the work of three indigenous companies - Native Earth from Canada, Yirra Yaakin from Australia and Tawata Productions from Aotearoa.

Miria George, who co-wrote Tawata's contribution He Reo Aroha, says audiences will be able to draw the links from the stories.

The Canadian play, Annie May's Movement. Is about FFBI raids on American Indian reservations in the 1970s, and may remind audiences of the police raid on Ruatoki last year.

Miria George hopes the festival will inspire rangatahi to consider a life on the stage.

Monte Ohia a true rangatira

Monday June 16

The former Te Tai Tonga candidate for the Maori Party has been remembered as a true rangatira.

Educationalist Monte Ohia from Ngati Pukenga, Ngaiterangi, Ngati Ranginui and Te Arawa, was buried today among his wife's people at Waikawa Bay near Picton.

He died on Thursday at his home in Christchurch wile preparing to go to a Maori Party engagement.

Whatarangi Winitata, the party's president, says Mr Ohia measured up against the three attributes of chieftainship laid down by the late Bishop Manuhuia Bennett.

“Te kai a te rangatira, korero, talking, he had that, he was a great speaker. Second word was manaakitanga, and Monte knew how to look after people. Third was to bind the people. His tangihanga brought people from all over,” Professor Winiata says.

He says now that God has taken its candidate, the Maori Party hopes He will come up with one of equal talent and ability.

VOLUNTEERING PART OF MAORI LIFE

It's Volunteer Awareness Week, but that's not something a lot of Maori would notice.

More than one in four people in New Zealand contribute time to non-profit organisations.

The proporetion is higher among Maori, with rangatahi maori in particular putting more time into their communities than other young people.

Daveena Neilson from Volunteer Wanganui says contributing to whanau and hapu activities is a natural part of the Maori world, and there is no expectation of acknowledgement.

UPLIFTING TALE IN INDIGENOUS THEATRE FESTIVAL

It's a musical love story with a Maori flavour.

He Reo Aroha is playing a short season in Rotorua this week, as part of a festival of indigenous theatre from Aotearoa, Australia and Canada.

Co-writer Miria George says the play uses conversations between two musicians, interspersed with songs, to tell an uplifting tale.

The Honouring Theatre Festival starts in Rotovegas tonight, and moves to Manukau next week before heading to Australia.

HEALERS FORM NATIONAL BODY

More than 150 traditional healers and their supporters are meeting in Tolaga Bay to form a national organisation.

Te Paepae Matua mo te Rongoa will be self-governing, but it will get administrative support funded by the Health Ministry.

Rongoa was for many years an almost underground activity, but the ministry has been working on a development plan, Taonga Tuku Iho or Treasure of Our Heritage, which aims to find a place for it among the range of Maori health services.

Ministry spokesperson Rangi Pouwhare says given the sensitive nature of rongoa Maori, it's an achievement to get this far.

“This is about celebrating the people that have been nominated from each region to put them up to Te Paepae Matua and then the Paepae Matua will be giving the directions as to where and how the rongoa will go. The Paepae Matua is based on keepers of the knowledge, they’re old, they’re young, male and female. I think it’s a milestone just to get them all together,” Ms Pouwhare says.

PA CLOSE OFF BEFORE DAMAGE CONTINUES

Hawkes Bay people are now looking at a reserve near Havelock North with new eyes.

Local Maori have revealed that the bush clad Tainui Reserve covers the remains of Hikanui Pa.

Des Ratima, from Hastings District Council's joint Maori committee, says they let the secret out because it needed to be protected from cyclists, who were using the old sleeping and storage pits as jumps for their bikes.

He says there's still a lot there to interest the archaeologists and historians, including palisade bases, sleeping and cooking areas and access routes,” Mr Ratima says.

The reserve is being fenced off to prevent further damage.

WOMEN HONOURED FOR COMMUNITY ROLE

The role of Maori women in community development will be recognised at Parliament tonight.

He Wahine Pumanawa is being hosted by the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri and the Maori Women's Welfare League.

Shenagh Glaisner, the ministry's chief executive, says eight kuia will be honoured for making a difference to where they live.

They were Irene Mokai, Maria Parore-Larsen, Tatiana Pimm, Te Irawaho Edith Mihaere, Atiria Ake, Evelyn Taumaunu, Doreen Erueti and Kiri Scott