A group of entrepreneurial aunties from Ōmaka marae in Blenheim and their delicious preserves are finalists in the New Zealand Artisan Awards. The aunties of Ōmaka marae have turned their desire for tino rangatiratanga into a social enterprise, with products that are gaining national recognition. The rongoā Māori-inspired condiments, sold under the brand Manaaki, are finalists … Read more
This is the te reo journey of one very colonised Māori, writes journalist Meriana Johnsen. In one of our te reo classes, we had to choose a whakataukī that resonated with us. I chose: Ko taku reo, taku ohooho, ko taku reo, taku mapihi mauria. My language is my awakening, my language is the window … Read more
With 84% of Māori now living in urban areas, away from ancestral lands, it has become difficult for many of us to maintain a sense of tūrangawaewae. Meriana Johnsen finds out how Māori stay connected living in the cities and how some iwi are working to bring their people back home. This is the first … Read more
This weekend saw thousands converge on Wellington’s watefront for Kupe, a tribute to Polynesian explorers Kupe and Kuramarotini’s discovery of Aotearoa and first landing of the waka Matahorua in the harbour. Meriana Johnsen reviews the show. Weaving the past and the present, contemporary expression and ancient artforms, the welcoming of the waka hourua into Wellington harbour … Read more