East Taupo Trust brings flying in house

A Taupo bush pilot is grounded after Maori owners refused to renew his licence to access their Kaimanawa lands after almost 30 years of continuous service.

One of the land's trustees has instead been given the right to fly hunters into the remote blocks.

The owner of Air Charter Taupo, Arthur Whitehead,, tried early last year to start talks with East Taupo Lands Trust about renewing the 10-year licence, but wasn't asked to submit a proposal until a couple of months ago.

The outcome was the trust awarding an exclusive licence from January 1 next year to one of its trustees, former Air New Zealand pilot Gerard te Heuheu, son of Ngati Tuwharetoa paramount chief Tumu te Heuheu.

The trust chair, Jim Maniapoto, told Waatea News it was a private land lease, and not to bother him again.

Mr Whitehead says servicing the two huts accounted for more than 90 percent of his business, and hunting spots were booked more than a year ahead.

He says he can't assign bookings to the new operator, so he's now ringing customers around the world and explaining why their 2011 Kaimanawa hunting trip is off.

FORENSIC UNIT TO IMPORVE MAORI CARE

A Maori forensic psychiatrist says the completion of a $9 million upgrade to the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre at Waikato Hospital should improve the quality of care and cut down reoffending.

Rees Tapsell, the head of the Midland Forensic Psychiatric Service, says up to 70 percent of the centre's patients are Maori.

He says the centre is for people with a mental disorder who are at some phase of criminal proceedings.

“If we are going to help that group of people, then we are going to have to have a model of care that makes sense to them, that kind of acknowledges tea o Maori and the importance of that to some of these young guys who are trying to find out about themselves, trying to live better lives. We’ve got to have staff that understand that and we have to have facilities that facilitate that model of care,” Dr Tapsell says.

The centre includes a Whare for cultural activities and a Kokiri for rehabilitation

FILM MATARIKI CHOSEN FOR GIANT TORONTO FEST

The director of a film set in South Auckland to be premiered at next month's Toronto International Film Festival is confident its Maori title will draw in audiences.

Michael Bennett from Te Arawa says Matariki is about a career criminal forced to reflect on his ways.

He says the Maori new year marked by the rising of the Matariki constellation taps in to universal metaphors.

“Talk to anyone from overseas and the thing that fascinates them most about New Zealand is the Maori culture. It’s what makes us different and unique and wonderful. The title Matariki, how is relates to the movie is at that time of year when you reflect about where you have been and the changes you need to make, and that is what the film is about. All the characters are going through that kind of transition,” Mr Bennett says.

Matariki will be launched in New Zealand in November.

NEED FOR MORE MAORI ACCOUNTANTS

Maori accountants are meeting at Massey University's Te Kupenga o te Matauranga Marae in Palmerston North today and tomorrow to discuss their particular challenges within the profession.

Leon Wijohn from Tuhoe and Te Rarawa, a partner with Deloitte, says the Maori sector now accounts for almost 5 percent of gross domestic product, but fewer that 2 percent of accountants have Maori whakapapa.

He says while many young Maori have been attracted to the legal profession in recent years, the challenge is to get Maori at schools and universitiesa to see accounting as a career option.

“It's tricky. There’s no sexy accounting films on tv, are there. There’s lots of movies and programmes on law and crime and all that sort of thing, so kids are exposed to lawyers more than they are accountants,” Mr Wijohn says.

He says Maori accountants can form active and satisfying relationships with their Maori clients.

DOCO TRACKS MAORI CONTRIBUTION TO RUGBY LEAGUE

The Maori contribution to a century of Rugby League in Auckland will be celebrated in a documentary airing tomorrow night on Maori Televison.

Producer Brendon Butt says Weekend Warriors is a fascinating insight into a working class game that continues to be well supported by Maori.

He says names like Jim Rukutai , Manga Emery, Tawera Nikau, Dean Bell and Stacey Jones are intertwined in the history of the often maligned code.

“It's had to struggle, it’s had to work very hard to survive and gee, it’s provided some superstars of sport and some real heroes and many Maori families have been involved, many Pacific Island families have been involved, especially since the 70s, so it’s been an interesting story to tell,” says Mr Butt, from Te Arawa and Ngati Pukeko

WAIATA MAORI FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The importance of Australia to Maori music can be seen from the line-up for next month's Waiata Maori Music Awards.

Australian resident Nuki Waaka, who formed the Maori Volcanics in Sydney in 1964, has been nominated for a lifetime achievement award.

Brisbane-based Phatboy Pouet is contesting the Best Maori Male Solo Artist category against Auckland's Pieter T, 2008 Waiata Maori Awards winner Young Sid and Te Huaki Puanaki.

Among the wahine up for prizes are Maisey Rika, Toni Huata, Susan Rose and Kirsten Te Rito.

Tama Huata, the awards' director, says he's tried to make the awards as inclusive as possible.

“We are great supporters and advocates of te reo Maori but I would rather have all Maori in rather than having some. It is getting them into the environment, that this is the waiata Maori awards. And even at some stage they do record something in Maori, it’s an added bonus,” Mr Huata says.

The awards will be presented at the Hawke's Bay Opera House in Hastings on September 10.