Both of us love watching Maori Television. The channel offers more local content than any other (82% compared with 51 per cent for TV One and 50 per cent of TV3’s prime time hours, less on other channels) and the largest number of documentaries- 555 hours in the last year. And although many programmes in te reo are sub-titled in […]
Learning Our History
April 19, 2016 by 1 Comment
Our congratulations to those in schools and in the media who are challenging historical ignorance in order to promote greater understanding and cooperation among Pakeha, Maori and other cultural groups. There are some fine, well-informed teachers, and some schools genuinely committed to a well-grounded education for being a New Zealander today. In particular, we want to draw attention to […]
Polynesian Panther Women
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
On March 23, the Auckland Women’s Centre hosted a wonderful forum, “Women in the Polynesian Panthers and their Legacy”. It was deeply moving to hear three women speak about their experience of joining Polynesian Panthers to fight racism in Auckland in the 1970s. It was also inspiring to listen to the daughters of two former […]
Alex and Tomoko at Earthsong
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Ten years ago, Tanya began a conversation with a young Japanese woman sitting on her own at a film during the Out and Proud Festival. We learnt she was a doctor in training- having a gap year to study medical anthropology and English language at Auckland University- and eventually she told us she was in a […]
Whakapirau Bay
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A lovely water’s edge house filled with colourful art works in flax, mosaic and paint, looking across an inlet to Pahi, on the north-eastern Kaipara Harbour…a very restful place to take a break. We read books on the fascinating local history – including Dick Scott’s Seven Lives on Salt River, about early Maori occupation and […]
Who Owns Our Water?
April 19, 2016 by 3 Comments
When I saw this heading in huge capitals on a one-page article in the NZ Herald… SHOULD ONE RACE CONTROL NEW ZEALAND’S FRESH WATER? my first thought was “could this be an article about how Pakeha colonists have taken over the country’s natural water sources and used, abused, bought, sold, polluted , drained and destroyed so many, […]
Professor Ranginui Walker (1932 – 2016)
March 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
We are mourning the loss of a very inspiring Maori leader, Professor Ranginui Walker, of Whakatohea, and long-time resident of Tamaki Makaurau. Thousands gathered at Takaparawhau during the three days of his tangi to pay their respects to this activist and academic who has reshaped Maori-Pakeha relationships in Aotearoa. We went to the tangi on its […]
Tahuna Minhinnick (1960-2016)
March 19, 2016 by 1 Comment
We are also mourning the sudden death of Tahuna Minhinnick, aged only 56. We have known Tahuna and his family from Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua for almost thirty years, and worked with them during our 22 years on the Awhitu Peninsula. Tahuna Minhinnick’s death is a tragic loss to his whanau and his iwi. The son […]
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