Category: Te Ao Māori

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Minister for Māori Development is praising those named on the New Year Honours list.

Eighteen Māori have been recognised for 2026, and include Companions, Officers, and Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit, as well as recipients of the King’s Service Order and Medal.

Tama Potaka, who is also the Minister for Māori Crown Relations, said they demonstrate deep and enduring commitment to Māori advancement and community leadership across Aotearoa.

“I’m particularly inspired and motivated by those Māori leaders and people working in the iwi, hapū and whānau space who are doing some wonderful work in maintaining and uplifting our identity, but also continuing our traditions and our tikanga through to our mokopuna,” he said.

However, Potaka said they did not work alone.

“I think it’s wonderful that we’ve been able to honour and recognise people through this New Year’s list, and no doubt there will be further worthy people that are honoured and awarded in the King’s Birthday list coming up in six months, but for this moment, just to reflect on and thank the many recipients of honours and recognition for their contributions to their own whānau, and particularly for New Zealand as a whole.

“I do also recognise that within nearly everybody that’s been awarded an honour and award today and recognised for their massive contribution, there are often wives and husbands and children and parents and spouses and cousins that are behind them, and whilst individuals do get awards and recognition, often that comes with stronger whānau and stronger communities behind them.”

Renowned Māori academic appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Professor Thomas Charles Roa has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language and education.

Tom Roa, who is a Professor of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato, has been a tireless advocate for te reo Māori.

He is a founder of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori movement in the 1970s.

His leadership has shaped Māori language revitalisation and educational excellence, Potaka said.

Roa said he was honoured to be recognised, but should not be the only one.

“There are so many people who have been a part of my journey,” he said.

“I enjoy that saying, ‘I see as far as I can see because I stand on the shoulders of giants.’ I’ve had the pleasure of being mentored, being taught, and learning at the feet of giants.

“One in particular, who I think should have been made a Sir, is Koro Wētere.

“I’ve also spent time with people like Sir Pita Sharples, Sir Tīmoti Kāretu, and Dame Pania Tyson-Nathan, who I very much look up to, and I like to think that I follow their example.”

Māori leadership, language, and service recognised

Rod Drury has become a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, the technology industry, and philanthropy.

Leith Pirika Comer has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, governance, and education.

Rachel Emere Taulelei has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, Māori, and governance.

Professor Beverley-Anne Lawton has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women’s health.

Christina Cowan has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, particularly blind and low vision people.

Te Warihi Kokowai Hetaraka has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and art.

Waihoroi Paraone Hoterene has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and Māori language education.

Roger Bruce Douglas Drummond has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby and Māori.

Dr Lorraine Shirley Eade has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, governance and the community.

Hori Te Moanaroa Parata has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation and Māori.

Andrew Ruawhitu Pokaia has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and education.

Arihia Amiria Stirling has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and Māori.

Kāren Eirene Johnson has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and human rights.

Gail Henrietta Maria Thompson has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and conservation.

Helena Audrey Tuteao has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to people with disabilities and Māori.

Mark Joseph Harawira has become a Companion of the King’s Service Order for services to Māori education, arts and conservation.

Bonita Joanne Bigham has received the King’s Service Medal for services to local government and Māori.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Minister for Māori Development is praising those named on the New Year Honours list.

Sixteen Māori have been recognised for 2026, and include Companions, Officers, and Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit, as well as recipients of the King’s Service Order and Medal.

Tama Potaka, who is also the Minister for Māori Crown Relations, said they demonstrate deep and enduring commitment to Māori advancement and community leadership across Aotearoa.

“I’m particularly inspired and motivated by those Māori leaders and people working in the iwi, hapū and whānau space who are doing some wonderful work in maintaining and uplifting our identity, but also continuing our traditions and our tikanga through to our mokopuna,” he said.

However, Potaka said they did not work alone.

“I think it’s wonderful that we’ve been able to honour and recognise people through this New Year’s list, and no doubt there will be further worthy people that are honoured and awarded in the King’s Birthday list coming up in six months, but for this moment, just to reflect on and thank the many recipients of honours and recognition for their contributions to their own whānau, and particularly for New Zealand as a whole.

“I do also recognise that within nearly everybody that’s been awarded an honour and award today and recognised for their massive contribution, there are often wives and husbands and children and parents and spouses and cousins that are behind them, and whilst individuals do get awards and recognition, often that comes with stronger whānau and stronger communities behind them.”

Renowned Māori academic appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Professor Thomas Charles Roa has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language and education.

Tom Roa, who is a Professor of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato, has been a tireless advocate for te reo Māori.

He is a founder of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori movement in the 1970s.

His leadership has shaped Māori language revitalisation and educational excellence, Potaka said.

Roa said he was honoured to be recognised, but should not be the only one.

“There are so many people who have been a part of my journey,” he said.

“I enjoy that saying, ‘I see as far as I can see because I stand on the shoulders of giants.’ I’ve had the pleasure of being mentored, being taught, and learning at the feet of giants.

“One in particular, who I think should have been made a Sir, is Koro Wētere.

“I’ve also spent time with people like Sir Pita Sharples, Sir Tīmoti Kāretu, and Dame Pania Tyson-Nathan, who I very much look up to, and I like to think that I follow their example.”

Māori leadership, language, and service recognised

Rod Drury has become a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, the technology industry, and philanthropy.

Leith Pirika Comer has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, governance, and education.

Rachel Emere Taulelei has become a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, Māori, and governance.

Christina Cowan has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, particularly blind and low vision people.

Te Warihi Kokowai Hetaraka has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and art.

Waihoroi Paraone Hoterene has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and Māori language education.

Roger Bruce Douglas Drummond has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby and Māori.

Dr Lorraine Shirley Eade has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori, governance and the community.

Hori Te Moanaroa Parata has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation and Māori.

Andrew Ruawhitu Pokaia has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and education.

Arihia Amiria Stirling has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and Māori.

Gail Henrietta Maria Thompson has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and conservation.

Helena Audrey Tuteao has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to people with disabilities and Māori.

Mark Joseph Harawira has become a Companion of the King’s Service Order for services to Māori education, arts and conservation.

Bonita Joanne Bigham has received the King’s Service Medal for services to local government and Māori.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

After the rollercoaster year that was 2024 te ao Māori may have expected that to continue into 2025 and in many ways it did with so many stories making for another unprecedented year.

The national Kapa Haka competition Te Matatini returned in February, rising to new heights of popularity with Te Tauihu group Te Kuru Marutea capturing hearts well beyond Māori circles with their powerful solos and of course there was that Waiata ā Ringa from eventual winners Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue.

The festival has also grown to record size, this year saw 55 haka groups competing the most ever and concerns over infrastructure in smaller regions eventually led organisers to move the next festival in 2027 to Waikato, rather than to the Nelson region which had been expected to host.

2025 was also a status qou breaking year in Māori politics, which saw the deaths of influential political leaders, an unprecedented suspension from Parliament, a by-election in Tāmaki Makaurau and a bitter feud within Te Pāti Māori.

But it began with a long and drawn out Select Committee process for the Treaty Principles Bill, a record-breaking 300,000+ submissions were made on the controversial bill which was ultimately defeated near-unanimously at its second reading in April – although its architect David Seymour has promised to reignite the debate in 2026.

The first Koroneihana of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po took place in September, one year on from her ascension as Māori Monarch and the death of her father Kiingi Tuheitia.

Te Ao Māori awaited eagerly to hear what Te Arikinui would say after a year of silence – and her kōrero did not disappoint. She told listeners there were many ways to manifest being Māori, “Kaua tātou e tuku mā ngā porotū kau noa e Māori ai tātou – Tino Rangatiratangatia tō reo, Mana Motuhaketia te taiao, Tino Rangatiratangatia tō hauora, Mana Motuhaketia tō pā harakeke, kei aua kaupapa rā te tino oranga mai o te Māoritanga,” she said.

She also took the opportunity to launch two new economic initiatives, including a multi million dollar Kotahitanga Fund. Could that be a catalyst to take Māoridom into a post Treaty Settlement era?

Here are just a few of the stories that we had the privilege of sharing in 2025:

Dame Tariana Turia

The year had barely begun when news broke that Dame Tariana Turia, the former co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, had died at the age of 80.

At her tangihanga at Whangaehu Marae near Whanganui she was remembered as a principled politician, a fighter for her iwi, including during the 79-day occupation of Whanganui’s Moutoa Gardens in 1995, but by most people simply as Nanny Tari.

She was the first of many of many Māori leaders taken in Te Kupenga o Taramainuku in 2025, less then a month later the Turia whānau were rocked again by the death of Dame Tariana’s grandson Pakaitore Turia.

Rātana

The annual Rātana celebrations in January commemorate the birthday of the movements founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and traditionally mark the beginning of the political year.

While the political talk was dominated by the Treaty Principles Bill the event also marked the first visit of the Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po to Rātana since the death of her father Kiingi Tuheititia.

Tainui leader Tuku Morgan described the Kiingitanga and Rātana Church as two movements inextricably bound together.

Waitangi

Waitangi commemorations began with the re-opening of the historic wharenui at Te Tii Marae, where at least 300 people gathered to witness the whare’s new carvings, paved courtyard and earthquake strengthening.

Among the annual attractions was the annual waka parade; a staple of Waitangi commemorations and a celebration of the various vessels used by early Māori settlers.

Keen-eyed beach onlookers would also have noticed Bosco, the water surfing French bulldog, who made headlines for his aquatic antics.

Iritana Tawhiwhirangi

Māori educator Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi, a founder of the Kōhanga Reo movement, died in early February, she was 95.

During her tangihanga at Gisborne’s Te Poho o Rawiri Marae she was remembered as a stern but caring mentor, a lion, a taniwha and a keen golfer.

Many mourners made their way to Te Tairāwhiti, including Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, now the patron of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust and for whom Dame Iritana was a mentor.

Te Matatini

The largest event in Māoridom, the “Olympics of Kapa Haka” Te Matatini, returned in 2025 with Taranaki and Whanganui hosting the biggest competition ever.

Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue from the Te Arawa region emerged as Toa Whakaihuwaka, as champions on the final day at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth.

Matariki mā Puanga

For it’s fourth year the Matariki Public Holiday celebrations highlighted the star Puanga (Rigel) and the communities who observe the star in their astronomical traditions.

The national hautapu ceremony was hosted this year by central North Island iwi Ngāti Rangi at Tirorangi Marae near the base of Ruapehu.

Takutai Tarsh Kemp

The MP for Tāmaki Makaurau Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp died suddenly in June at the age of 50, the Pāti Māori MP had been at Parliament working only the day before.

Before Parliament she founded the Rangatahi Mental Health Youth Hub, managed the first crew from Aotearoa to qualify for the World Hip Hop Championships in the US and lead Manurewa Marae as its chief executive through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Koroneihana

The first Koroneihana of Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po took place one year on from her ascension as Māori Monarch and the death of her father Kiingi Tuheitia

After a year of mourning many people were eagerly awaiting her first national address. In an emotional speech she told listeners that being Māori was not defined by having an enemy or a challenge to overcome.

Te Pāti Māori ructions

Ructions within Te Pāti Māori dominated the headlines throughout the second half of the year. It began with what should have been a moment of celebration for the party with former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara winning the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election in a landslide.

But allegations by former staffer Eru Kapa-Kingi of a “dictatorship” among the party leadership soon spiralled with Te Pāti Māori’s national council voting to expel MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, mother of Eru, and Tākuta Ferris.

Kapa-Kingi has since been reinstated as a member of the party, but the court decision which forced the issue will be revisited at a full hearing in early February next year. Just in time for Waitangi.

Marine and Coastal Area Act (MACA)

In October the government’s changes to the Marine and Coastal Area Act (MACA) passed, making it harder for Māori groups to secure Customary Marine Title (CMT) over parts of New Zealand’s coast.

The law is also retrospective meaning groups who had their title confirmed after 24 July 2024, such as the whānau of Ruapuke Island, will have to go back to court.

Veteran Māori rights activist Reuben Taipari gathered almost 20,000 signatures in only four days on a petition opposing the Bill, which he called worse than the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.

Ngātiwai chairman Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards also made his feelings on the Bill clear during a debate and was ejected from Parliament’s gallery for it, then a few weeks later the iwi upped the ante by landing on the Poor Knights Islands to raise a flag and erect a carved pou in protest.

Sir Tumu Te Heuheu

In September Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VII, the Ariki or traditional leader of central North Island iwi Ngāti Tūwharetoa died, he was 84.

Succeeding his father Sir Hepi Te Heuheu as Ariki in 1997, he left behind a legacy of commitment to his iwi and to the environment. His son was named his successor, Te Rangimaheu Te Heuheu Tūkino IX.

WIPCE

After 20 years the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) returned to Aotearoa. Some 4000 delagates representing indigenous nations the world over descended on Tāmaki Makaurau.

The conference covered many different themes on education and many more beyond including Pacific wayfinding and indigenous food, the conference also saw the return of the Hawaiian double-hulled voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa to Auckland 40 years since its voyage to Aotearoa that helped spark a revival of Pacific navigation.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A new report published by Te Mātāwai has highlighted the narratives of Māori individuals grappling with language loss and trauma.

An earlier study by Dr Raukura Roa and Professor Tom Roa (2023), defined te reo trauma as ‘the emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual harm and distress experienced by Māori individuals due to a lack of proficiency in te reo Māori.’

The new report noted that this can manifest in various ways “including language anxiety and feelings of shame (whakamā) for not being able to speak te reo Māori. Language anxiety can lead to withdrawal from cultural contexts, impacting social interaction and mental health.”

‘Everyday Experiences of Te Reo Māori Trauma’ by Dr Mohi Rua saw five whānau selected for the study, and the report provides a critical analysis of three participants, all Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and from the first generation raised after the mass urbanisation of Māori.

In this context, their intergenerational transmission was severely disrupted, and te reo was not passed onto them. As such, these whānau stories of reconnection to, and reclamation of, te reo Māori is fraught with whakamā, challenges, and how they understand their own cultural identity.

One interviewee said that a common thing his parents shared was that they were from a generation that got a hiding, got strapped from the teachers of that time.

“If they were to speak te reo Māori or even spoke single words at school, they got a hiding… so, you can understand I guess the trauma that my parents went through and what they wanted for us. What they saw then, they thought that was the right thing, so I guess English was the way to move forward,” he said.

Another interviewee recalled when he asked his father why he never spoke te reo Māori to him and his siblings, his father shared the trauma he experienced and questioned the relevance of te reo in contemporary society.

“He shared with us that he was part of that generation that had it beaten out of them… and this is how he put it to us, he thought ‘it was a waste of f…ing time’ us learning. That’s how he put it, which is why he never spoke it to us.”

Dr Rua said te reo Māori trauma is a multifaceted issue rooted in the colonial history and injustices that contribute to socio-cultural and economic disparities for Māori today.

“The three interviewees all illustrate the profound experiences of trauma associated with the absence of te reo Māori in their upbringing, fears of making mistakes and the pressure to be proficient in te reo Māori. They share their real stories but remain anonymous,” he said.

But at the same time all three of the interviewees have pushed through the reo trauma to continue learning to speak, although to different degrees.

One emphasised her desire for her children to feel comfortable in their cultural environment. “I don’t want our kids to be sitting at the marae and go, ‘what are they talking about? What are they laughing at? What they say when everyone’s laughing?'”

“I’ve learnt a lot more in the last six months than I have in my whole reo journey, and it’s been massive. Our kaiako is awesome but it’s shifted our mindset from a colonised and trying to decolonise and put us into a space where we don’t think Pākehā, think Māori first and it’s been a mean shift,” another interviewee said.

Te Mātāwai Hoa-Toihau Mātai Smith said the research moves understanding of this complex topic forward, and emphasises the critical importance of te reo Māori in preserving cultural identity.

“It highlights the various barriers caused by trauma that prevent the effective revival of te reo Māori. These participants provide good examples of successfully working through trauma in their whānau.

“Their stories can be a source of inspiration for other whānau to combat the ‘whakamā’ many feel with learning te reo.”

“Any initiative to overcome te reo Māori trauma needs to be interconnected with whānau, hapū, and iwi – their community and context is important for their own reo journey,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Mihingarangi Forbes and Annabelle Lee-Mather

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership isn’t trusted by nearly half of Māori voters and many would prefer Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke to take over, a new poll suggests.

Almost half of those surveyed in the Mata-Horizon Research poll believe the party is heading in the wrong direction, and more than 65 percent indicated the recent problems were an important consideration in deciding their vote.

But the results also show there’s still a desire from voters for the party to remain in Parliament.

The poll was commissioned as part of a Mata Reports examination of the ructions in the party this year, Te Pāti Māori: A Kaupapa in Crisis.

Months of intra-party turmoil

Since June, Te Pāti Māori has been beset by a series of set-backs, including allegations and counter-allegations between MPs and the leadership, culminating in the expulsion of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākura Ferris from the party. An interim order of the High Court has restored Kapa-Kingi’s membership pending a full hearing next year.

Two former insiders have spoken out to Mata Reports, criticising the current leadership team and calling for a return to the kaupapa envisioned when the party was founded in 2004.

“Those principles, the tikanga that was established, weren’t just about being words on a paper, they were the values by which we were expected to not only reflect the political aspirations of our people but how we would behave,” says founding member Amokura Panoho.

She believes changes made to the constitution in 2023 saw authority shift from the membership to the executive of the party.

“I think that that’s concerning and it has led to a lot of the conflict that we have watched unfold. There’s a particular style of leadership that is inconsistent with the principles of the party.”

Former policy director Jack Tautokai McDonald says the party has done “amazing work” since it returned to Parliament in 2020.

“But I feel like that is now all at risk because of the debacle over the last few months. And I think that increasingly they are betraying the hopes and aspirations of those who put them there.”

Mata Reports invited party president John Tamihere to be interviewed for the story but he declined.

Poll of Māori voters

The Mata-Horizon Research Poll surveyed 328 Māori from December 4-12, and has a margin of error of ±5.4 percent. Respondents were a mixture of people on the Māori and general electoral rolls.

Asked how much trust they had in the current leadership team, 47 percent of respondents said “not much” or “none”. Another 26 percent said they had “some”, while 18 percent said “a lot”, and 9 percent said “don’t know”.

Almost half of those surveyed – 47 percent – said the party was heading in the wrong direction, 33 percent said it was going in the right direction, and about one-fifth said they didn’t know.

When it came to a preferred leader, Maipi-Clarke came out on top with 19 percent. The Hauraki-Waikato MP – the youngest in Parliament – was recently named by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential rising stars.

Next highest in the poll was co-leader Rawiri Waititi (12 percent), just ahead of Ferris, on 11 percent. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer was on 7 percent, Kapa-Kingi was on 6 percent, Tamihere on 5 percent, and new Tāmaki Makaurau MP Oriini Kaipara on 3 percent. Another 37 percent answered “don’t know” or “other”.

The party won six of the seven Māori electorate seats at the last election, and was riding high in the polls at the start of this year, thanks in part to the surge in support for the party-backed Toitū Te Tiriti movement which opposed the Treaty Principles Bill.

However, the poll suggests the infighting has done significant damage to the party and could influence voter choices at next year’s election.

Asked how important recent problems were when it came to deciding their vote, 67 percent said “very” or “somewhat” important. Twenty-seven percent said “not very important” or “not important at all”. Only 6 percent said “don’t know”.

Te Pāti Māori has historically mostly won most of its seats in Parliament by winning Māori electorates, which are voted on by people on the Māori electoral roll.

In the poll, 71 percent of respondents who said they had supported a Te Pāti Māori candidate in 2023 said they were “very likely” or “likely” to vote that way again if an election was held tomorrow. Only 16 percent said they were “unlikely” and none said they were “very unlikely”.

Support for the party based on the party vote also appears to be holding up, according to the poll. Labour had 28 percent support in the poll, compared with 31 percent it won with Māori electoral roll voters in 2023. Te Pāti Māori also had 28 percent support in the poll, though this was better than the 23 percent it got from Māori roll voters at the last election.

Hope to ‘steady the kaupapa’

Political scientist Lara Greaves, an associate professor of politics at Victoria University, said the party’s pathway back to stability and capitalising on the support it had was unclear.

“I don’t know where things can go from here and how they can bounce back.”

She says the split with the Toitū Te Tiriti movement was particularly damaging because it risked seeing the party lose the support of rangatahi and young voters.

“It’s hard to motivate people to come out to vote when you see all of this drama,” says Greaves.

“I can’t necessarily see people feeling hopeful and positive about the future in Te Pāti Māori at this point in time … especially those younger Māori voters.”

She says the party had been one of the most successful indigenous political groups in the world, and an inspiration to movements globally.

“To see this happen and see this rupture happen in such a spectacularly messy fashion, it’s pretty disappointing.”

Despite the troubles, though, Panoho believed in the party’s future.

“The Māori Party was born through courage,” she says.

“If we return to honesty, integrity and collective leadership, our movement will recover its mana. My job has been, in terms of talking through these issues with you today, is to help steady the kaupapa so that our young ones can come along, pick up the hoe and take our waka forward.”

Made with the help of Te Māngai Pāho & NZ on Air

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Toioho ki Āpiti – New Zealand’s only university based Māori Visual Arts programme celebrated its 30th anniversary this month at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University.

Across those three decades Toioho ki Āpiti has produced a number of notable alumni including Dr Huhana Smith, Reweti Arapere and Mataaho Collective members Erena Arapere, Bridget Reweti and Dr Teri Te Tau winners of the Golden Lion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Erena Arapere, now a lecturer at Toioho, said although the course was small its graduates had had a huge impact and had gone to work as artists, teachers, tā moko artists and curators.

“So the breadth of possibilities following a degree like a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts is really huge,” she said.

The programme was established at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi School of Māori Knowledge in the mid-1990s by renowned artist and educator Professor Robert Jahnke (Ngāti Porou).

Arapere (Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) said there had been many amazing people who had contributed to Toioho, far too many to name, but among them were Rachel Rakena, Shane Cotton, Ngatai Taepa and Kura Te Waru Reweri.

When Professor Jahnke established Toioho 30 years ago he wanted to create a programme that could address some of the racism he had experienced as a young man studying visual art and where Māori students could learn on their own terms, she said.

“So Māori students were taught by Māori and the art history practice that they draw on as our customary practice, as opposed to an international kind of art canon.”

Even after three decades Toioho ki Āpiti remains the only Māori visual arts programme of its kind in the world, she said.

“So it connects customary knowledge with contemporary practice and gives, hopefully, the students the confidence to create any work that they wish to create, be that work that is explicitly Māori or more subtle in its approach. And as long as it’s made by someone who’s Māori, we consider it to be Māori art,” she said.

“What’s cool is we all are encouraged to foster our own practice and how that impacts into experience for the students.”

To mark the 30-year anniversary artists, alumni and current students gathered to paint a large-scale mural at the concourse on Massey’s Turitea campus in Manawatū.

The mural, designed by staff and students to honour the programme’s legacy, features a repeated X motif referencing tukutuku cross-stitch, the marks made by many Māori when signing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and framed by the Ruahine and Tararua ranges the mural positions Toioho ki Āpiti within its local landscape.

Arapere said as another part of the three decade celebrations new students enrolling in the programme for next year were able to apply for a $5000 scholarship to support their study, with 15 scholarships available to help people start their creative journey.

Since graduating with her Master’s in 2009 Arapere has gone on to success as part of Mataaho Collective, which won the Golden Lion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, one of the world’s most prestigious art prizes.

Three of the collective’s members are graduates of Toioho ki Āpiti, Bridget Reweti, Teri Te Tau and Arapere herself, and she believed even though they all came through in different years the programme set them up for success by giving them a shared understanding of who they were and how they approached art making, which translated into being able to work collaboratively.

“The whānau environment of Toioho also fosters kind of collaboration and sharing of knowledge, skills… it’s nice to see that you can achieve so much more as a group than on your own.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington Marae is adding period care products to its Christmas kai parcels this year as the cost-of-living crisis deepens forcing more people into period poverty.

Kōkiri Marae in the Lower Hutt suburb of Seaview has worked with Dignity since 2022 to include pads, tampons, and reusable options in its parcels.

Dignity CEO Lisa Maathuis said they work with over 250 different community partners across Aotearoa with Kōkiri being one of the biggest gifting partners, gifting about two and half thousand boxes of period products across three years.

“The benefit of working with places like Kōkiri Marae and our other partners is that they have such incredible relationships with their community and understand their community so well. So it means that when they are distributing the period products, it’s really delivered as an act of manaakitanga and it ensures that the period products are given with dignity and respect and that people have access to period products and don’t miss out on any opportunities in life.”

Dignity’s “buy one, give one” model involves partnering with corporate orgnisations who buy a certain ammount of boxes half of which go to their employees while the other half is gifted on their behalf to community orginisations.

Kōkiri’s Pātaka Kai has seen consistently high demand since opening in 2019, and Sexual & Reproductive Health Promoter/Educator Shelley Duffin said rising living costs are pushing more working families to seek help.

“We have always supported a broad range of whanau, but are increasingly aware that more working families are being forced to make incredibly tough choices. People are going without essentials like period products because there’s simply nothing left in the budget,” she said.

Duffin says they expect to distribute more than 700 kai parcels in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and the inclusion of period care makes a tangible difference.

“One woman we worked with had three daughters, plus she was helping one of their friends. When we asked whether anyone needed period products, she chose the reusable options. Later, she told us she’d been cutting up old towels to get by. That’s the reality for many whānau.”

Maathuis said the holiday period can be tough for younger wāhine especially, who won’t have access to period products provided in schools.

“Generally with poverty and not just period poverty, it’s definitely harder during the holidays because people are really prioritising essentials for children and leaving, you know, some of their own needs behind. And I think people want to, regardless of what situation you’re in, during the holidays you do still want to make it a special time for your family. And so that can mean that sometimes people are prioritising food over period products.”

Maathuis said there has been an increase in demmand for Dignity’s services, currently they are actively supporting around 60 different community organisations

“We get probably two or three applications per week to join and to get those gifted period products that go onto our waitlist. And our waitlist is currently about 150. So we’ve seen a huge increase in demand, and it’s something that we haven’t been able to keep up with yet because we need to bring on new corporate partners onto our buy one, give one model at the same rate.”

Maathuis said another way to alleviate period poverty is by working to lift the stigma sorrounding it and Dignity is collaborating with Qiane Matata-Sipu, author of My First Ikura, to help do that. https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/books/my-first-ikura-celebrates-the-maori-understanding-of-menstruation

“When you think about period poverty, it’s one thing to help to make sure that everybody has access to period products, but there’s also a stigma and shame and whakamā that comes with periods. And so on our website as well, you can gift those books so that we can donate those to our partners as well and really take away the shame and, you know, think about getting My First Ikura as a thing that is done with pride and not something to be ashamed of.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Māori landowners at the top of the South Island will have more than 3000 hectares returned to them in a landmark agreement with the Crown.

In the 1830s the Crown promised Māori in Te Tauihu that if they sold 151,100 acres of land to the New Zealand Company they would be able to keep one tenth. They instead received fewer than 3000 acres.

The agreement to reserve the land was in part-payment for the company’s purchase of the land.

In 2017 the Supreme Court ruled that the government must honour the deal struck in 1839 but efforts to resolve the case outside court since had been unsuccessful.

In Wellington on Wednesday, Attorney-General Judith Collins and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced that an agreement had been reached.

Under the agreement, 3068 hectares will be returned to descendants of the original owners, including the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve and the Abel Tasman Great Walk.

The agreement also includes a $420 million compensation payment to recognise land that has been sold by the Crown since 1839 and in recognition of the lost earnings and land use.

Collins said the agreement differed from Treaty settlements, which settled historical claims concerning breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.

“In this case, we are simply returning land to its rightful and legal owners,” she said.

“The Crown failed to keep its side of the deal but in 2017 the Supreme Court ruled it had a legal duty to the original owners. In 2024 the High Court confirmed that the land, in parts of Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay, had been held on trust by the Crown and that it had always belonged to descendants of its original owners.”

The case was first brought against the Crown by Kaumātua Rore Stafford in 2010.

He took legal action on behalf of ngā uri, the descendants of the tūpuna named in the 1893 Native Land Court list and the descendants of specific Kurahaupō tūpuna.

The Crown and the owners, descendants of Te Tauihu Māori, have agreed to allow continued public access to land currently used by the government agencies.

Potaka said the Department of Conservation had worked with the owners to ensure ongoing public access.

“The Abel Tasman Great Walk, the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve and wider conservation areas will remain open, with all bookings and access continuing as normal,” he said.

“Visitors, tourism operators, and local communities can be assured there will be no immediate changes to access or day-to-day use.”

Potaka said both parties were mindful of the need to balance legal ownership with how the land is currently being used and the desire for certainty.

“Everyone acknowledges that the Great Walk and reserve are important sites, much loved by locals and visitors and that they are of deep significance to the original owners, local business operators and future generations,” he said.

Private property is not affected by the agreement. The Crown had been using some of the affected land for roads, schools and conservation purposes and the agreement transfers the land back to its rightful owners but allows the Crown to lease some of the land currently being used for important public purposes.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he acknowledged the impact on the customary landowners, who had not had the use of their land for many generations.

The thanked those representing the customary landowners for their patience, for their pragmatism, and working towards this resolution.

“I want to thank our Attorney General Judith Collins, for her leadership, our coalition partners who recognised, alongside National, the need to resolve this and I also say thank you to our team and our negotiators who worked incredibly hard on both sides to bring us to this day.”

Luxon said some of the land being returned included places cherished by New Zealanders.

“Visitors have long been driven to the tracks, the huts, the beaches and the bays in the area and by maintaining public access, it will remain a taonga up in which to build a base so that the trust and associated businesses, the environment and the region will flourish.”

Te Here-ā-Nuku (Making the Tenths Whole) project lead Kerensa Johnston said the agreement marks the end of more than 15 years ligitation.

“It resolves longstanding uncertainty for our people and region, upholds the rule of law and property rights relevant to all New Zealanders, and heals rifts that are generations deep. It allows us to turn our focus to the future and how we might achieve wellbeing and prosperity for our whānau and region – the original purpose of the Nelson Tenths agreement,” she said.

She acknowledged the courage and perseverance of kaumātua and plaintiff Rore Stafford, who first raised the issue with the Crown almost 40 years ago.

“For many years we have hoped for a principled and pragmatic resolution to this case. The Crown has worked with us in good faith and by focusing on positive solutions we have achieved this historic milestone,” she said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Iwi Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) are concerned their role in the health system will be reduced under the government’s Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill.

The Health Select Committee released its final report on the bill in November, recommending it be passed. It is expected to have its second reading in the coming months.

Minister of Health Simeon Brown said the changes being made were focused on ensuring a clearer structure that delivered better results, including for Māori, and a key part of this is clarifying the role of Iwi Māori Partnership Boards.

The 15 regional Iwi Māori Partnership Boards were set up in 2022 to ensure the voices of Māori are heard in healthcare decision-making and improve hauora outcomes for Māori.

Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu covers the top of the South Island, its Pouwhakahaere Dr Kim Ngawhika said currently IMPBs have three main functions: first to provide a whānau voice, second to monitor the health system and third to work with Health NZ in developing priorities for improving hauora Māori.

Under the Pae Ora amendments those functions would be reduced to one, providing a voice for whānau, she said.

“It does kind of put us on the outer as far as partnership is concerned, we’re still there, we’re still going, but is has reduced our responsibility considerably.”

Ngawhika (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Te Arawa) said it feels as if the partnership is being reduced as much as possible without shutting down the IMPBs outright.

“Of course we will adapt, Māori have always adapted, as governments come and go we remain. Our focus for Te Kāhui is our whānau voice.”

Ngawhika said the focus for the IMPB remains on working with whānau and continuing to engage in the health system despite the uncertainty of what the future holds.

When Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority was disestablished the IMPBs took on some of its responsibilities, and the previous Health Minister Dr Shane Reti indicated that they would be empowered to take on a much broader remit. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/514549/how-the-coalition-plans-to-replace-the-quickly-scrapped-maori-health-authority

Ngawhika said there was some great encouragement from Reti in his initial contact with the IMPBs during what was a time of uncertainty.

“There was a lot of work that happened in that time and it was a time of great change too because Te Aka Whai Ora was being disestablished and I think that the Iwi Māori Partnership Boards just put their heads down and got on with that piece of work.”

The Manahautū of Wellington IMPB Āti Awa Toa Hauora, Hikitia Ropata is concerned that the IMPBs will lose their direct relationship with the Minister of Health under the changes, which would see the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC) providing advice to the Minister instead.

But as Ropata (Ngāti Toarangatira, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou) notes, the members of HMAC are appointed by the Minister.

“So what we want is the opportunity to influence at that really regional, local level. I know there are public servants working hard to try and enable that to happen. But when your legislative framework changes so much, it’s hard to keep the faith in a system when you know you want the best for your people.”

The IMPBs have now been around for three years now and in that time have worked hard to build relationships both with the communities they serve and with Health NZ, she said.

“At the end of the day, I think that IMPBs have a better crack at building trust and getting information from our own people than if health officials go out and try and do it.”

Ropata is also concerned that among the raft of changes the Bill also strips key health sector principles designed to address inequities by removing the requirement for the Government Policy Statement (GPS) to consider any national health strategy.

These strategies, such as the Māori health strategy and Pacific health strategy, provide important evidence and data and Ropata is worried the health system will “lose its compass” without them.

“If we can’t use that evidence and that data for our way forward, how the heck are we going to know where we’re heading, how the heck are we going to achieve better equity for our people in our community? Our people, iwi and Māori people in our local areas, but also everyone.”

The amendment breaks the link between long-term health planning and the political direction of the day, she said.

“Basically, IMPBs could be left monitoring ongoing inequities for the government, but not have it influence what the government aims to do in its government policy statement.”

Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, the IMPB for Te Arawa, also expressed concern at the removal of the strategies for groups most affected by inequity, including whaikaha (disabled) whānau.

“Removing strategies for those already struggling to be heard is dangerous. These inequities are avoidable, unfair, and unjust. The amendments make them worse,” said Chair Hingatu Thompson.

Both Māori voices and those of supportive non-Māori organisations have been ignored, he said.

“When you remove evidence, ignore submissions, and downgrade Te Tiriti, you’re left with political ideology interfering with the democratic process. And that ideology is clearly anti-Māori,” he said.

Ngawhika made note that one of the minor changes the Bill makes is a change to its name, switching from Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) to Healthy Futures (Pae Ora). “This is yet another way of silencing our voice,” she said.

Minister of Health Simeon Brown said under the changes IMPBs will continue to do what they are best placed to do: engage directly with their communities, identify local barriers, and provide deep insight into what is driving outcomes on the ground.

“IMPBs will also continue to engage with Health New Zealand at a district level, ensuring community perspectives directly inform how services are delivered in each region.

“For example, Māori children continue to have lower vaccination rates than non-Māori. Understanding the specific local issues behind those rates is essential to improving them, and that insight comes from IMPBs.

“These insights will also be provided to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, whose role is being strengthened to provide independent national-level advice on Māori health priorities to the Minister and the Health New Zealand Board. This creates a clear and consistent pathway from local insight to national decision-making.

“This approach will support more effective, community-informed responses to issues such as childhood immunisation and outbreaks, particularly in areas where Māori outcomes can be improved.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

An exhibition opening in Christchurch is offering an insight into the deteriorating state of freshwater across the Ngāi Tahu takiwā which has prompted the iwi to take court action against the Crown.

Unutai e! Unutai e! opens at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū on Saturday, it was developed by Dunedin Public Art Gallery in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu leaders and acclaimed photographer Anne Noble, the exhibition uses photographic works to highlight the realities being faced by waterways across the country.

Noble’s images document the environmental degradation affecting a significant number of waterways within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā and the consequences for Ngāi Tahu whānau, hapū and iwi working to restore wai māori, uphold rangatiratanga, and protect mahinga kai practices.

In 2020, Ngāi Tahu lodged a statement of claim with the High Court seeking recognition of rangatiratanga (authority) over wai māori within the tribe’s takiwā.

The case seeks definition and legal recognition of Ngāi Tahu rights and interests in freshwater to provide clarity and certainty for both the iwi and the Crown as partners under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is grounded in rangatiratanga, the responsibility and authority of Ngāi Tahu as a Treaty partner within the takiwā.

Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Justin Tipa said rangatiratanga was not about ownership or control; it reflected the tribe’s obligation to protect and manage freshwater for the collective good, now and into the future.

“The case provides the opportunity for the Crown and the tribe to decide together on a way forward to address the freshwater crisis, fix allocation, address rights and interests, and bring Ngāi Tahu expertise to the table.

“We are asking the Crown for effective water governance; clear, data-driven policy and standards; targeted action where it is most needed; proper investment in monitoring; and assurance that policy is delivering real outcomes.

“We also seek opportunities for the tribe to invest in infrastructure and solutions. In return, we’re playing our part by investing in research to drive efficiency, reduce red tape, lower transaction costs for all South Islanders, and ultimately restore and protect water.”

Healthy waterways are essential to the South Island’s environment, economy, and communities. This case is not solely about Ngāi Tahu rights – it is about securing clean, thriving rivers and lakes for every South Islander, he said.

Developed and toured by Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Unutai e! Unutai e! will be on display at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū from 13 December 2025 to 19 April 2026.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand