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The Spinoff
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Why Tāmaki Makaurau needs an urban Māori leader
With a byelection set for September 6, and Peeni Henare, Oriini Kaipara and Hannah Tamaki confirmed in the race, Tāmaki Makaurau needs a leader who understands what it means to be urban, disconnected and diasporic, argues Te Rina Ruka-Triponel. I've spent most of my life in Tāmaki Makaurau. I've lived overseas, moved between cities, and never quite had one tūrangawaewae to stand firm on – yet, Tāmaki has always been my home. But not in the way many understand. My experience as a Māori in this city has not been shaped by marae or iwi connections, at least not in the beginning, but by my relationship with Pacific communities who, in many ways, carried me when I felt disconnected from my own. I didn't grow up speaking te reo, like some of my Sāmoan and Tongan friends who were encouraged to speak only English – at least in public. For Pacific families, the church is like a marae, a fale or a meeting place. It's their tūrangawaewae away from home. A space for gathering, to keep language alive, for healing. It's where we mourn, celebrate and connect. Some rarely go back to their island homes because they're established here, and others don't know where they're from. While I've been on a reclamation journey for the last decade – now strongly connected to my hapū, my iwi, my whānau, even my fenua and village in Mo'orea – the story of the Pacific diaspora is one I deeply resonate with. I found belonging in those spaces when our own had been stripped from us. That's why I advocate for our Pacific communities, they healed a part of me my own community couldn't. Because, truthfully, Māori often participate in our own marginalisation. I come from a whānau shaped by colonisation, disconnection and assimilation – and I'm not alone. There are many of us out here. We are mokopuna of grandparents who were beaten for speaking te reo, forced off their whenua, and into urban centres like Tāmaki Makaurau. Some of us are reclaiming our reo, our tikanga, our names. These stories, though common, are still invisible in our leadership – and we are a huge demographic. Around 84% of Māori in Aotearoa live in urban areas, a figure that has remained consistent since at least the 2013 New Zealand census. Tāmaki Makaurau is home to the largest Māori population in the country, with nearly a quarter of all Māori (over 200,000 people) living in Auckland. That's a significant presence – yet urban Māori realities are still underrepresented in leadership, policy design and public narrative. There needs to be a voice that understands these realities – one that is actively pursuing the path to whakapapa too. This isn't a story of victimhood either – if anything, we are strong and resilient because of what we've endured. Many Māori whānau in Tāmaki are not te reo champions, we're not immersed in reo Māori every day. Many of us didn't grow up on our whenua or with a relationship to our marae. It's here that I urge Māori leadership to hold space for these complexities. For those of us who feel Māori in our wairua and bones – but who weren't raised with the traditional anchors of reo, marae and whenua. Now a byelection is upon us. The late Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp understood these realities. She was an unapologetically urban Māori wahine who, as chief executive of Manurewa Marae, turned the marae into a vital community clinic during the Covid‑19 lockdowns. She helped whānau impacted by job losses, distribution obstacles or vaccine hesitancy. Under her leadership, the marae administered around 65,000 Covid-19 vaccinations and provided food packs to support struggling households. She was also director of Hip Hop International NZ, managing the first Aotearoa crew to compete at the World Hip Hop Championships, celebrating Māori and Pacific cultural expression through dance. She worked with youth across South Auckland with a passion to ensure they would thrive. A servant-leader who proved that whakapapa and community service can take many forms – whether through the rhythms of hip hop, the outreach of a community clinic, or the embrace of a marae. Whoever follows Kemp must understand what it means to be a servant-leader in the context of this city. And they must carry the weight of representing Māori and Pacific communities whose lives are intertwined through shared histories of migration, struggle, and resilience. In political circles, I've often said: 'I don't resonate with the current leadership as an urban Māori.' And I'm usually met with: 'Well, that's not how politics works,' or 'It's not about seeing yourself in someone – it's about who can do the job.' That may be true in a western model. But as someone grounded in te ao Māori – and who's spent the last decade on a reclamation journey – I believe leadership is relational. And who better to lead Tāmaki Makaurau than someone who understands Tāmaki Makaurau? My hope is that Māori also extend their leadership to our Pacific whanaunga, our tuākana. We cannot prosper towards a Hawaiki hou without them. I certainly would not have come this far without them.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mark It On The Calendar. Toitū Te Reo Returns!
Toitū Te Reo – Aotearoa's national Māori language festival – is back for its second year, with a refined, refreshed two-day event full of heart, and happening in Heretaunga Hastings. The festival takes place in and around the Hastings CBD on 13 and 14 November 2025 and as plans begin to take shape, organisers are calling for aligned businesses, service providers, creatives and other entities to get involved. Festival director and founder Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod says this year's line-up will again include speakers, language workshops, musical performances, food and whānau-friendly events, bringing thousands to the city for celebration, connection, and cultural pride. 'Last year we had an estimated 10,000 people join us – whānau, tamariki, foodies, performers, creatives, reo champions and absolute beginners – all coming together to uplift te reo Māori,' says Jeremy. 'Toitū Te Reo is unapologetically Māori, yet it's incredibly accessible to non-speakers. We want young, old, locals, visitors, and those from every ethnicity to come along and have a go at te reo Māori.' Spearheaded by Te Matau a Māui-based cultural revitalisation agency Kauwaka, with support from the Matauranga Iwi Leaders' Group, sponsorship opportunities are now available, with something to suit every budget. While the inaugural festival received Government investment, 2025 is being delivered without it – a shift that has only strengthened the resolve of the organising team. 'It's a different climate,' says Jeremy. 'But we know how warmly the festival was welcomed in 2024 and we've doubled down on our commitment to progress 2025. Our indigenous language deserves centre stage and we're very grateful and humbled by those who believe in our kaupapa and share our commitment to Toitū Te Reo.' That support includes not just iwi and hapū, but a raft of businesses and volunteers who have already 'jumped in the waka' to deliver a packed schedule of kapa haka, symposiums, interactive workshops and wānanga, toi Māori, live podcasts, kai and more. Although the festival will inhabit a smaller footprint this year, it will again centre around the Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says her Council welcomes the festival's return. Te reo Māori is a taonga, she says, and the festival is instrumental in recognising and celebrating it as such. 'I was very proud when this world-first event was held in Heretaunga Hastings last year, and we saw how affirming and uplifting it was for all who attended. 'It created a real buzz in our city centre, showcasing our first people and our first language and honouring and celebrating our unique partnership here in Aotearoa – as captured and defined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.' Festival patrons Te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai Hono i te Po and Dr Sir Tīmoti Kāretu remain closely involved. 'Toitū Te Reo is a transformative bicultural opportunity for everyone,' concludes Jeremy. 'And it's even more important that we show up and show what we stand for in 2025, when the political discourse around te reo can be so toxic. 'We're extremely pleased at what we delivered in year one, excited about year two, and already dreaming up ways to make Toitū Te Reo an annual event for our region and our country.'
Otago Daily Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Cool Kiwis: five figures who tick all the boxes
Serena Solomon uncovers five New Zealanders who tick the boxes of being "cool". The secret to what makes someone cool now has some scientific backing. A recent study concluded that cool people tend to have the following traits: extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous. While extroverts need little introductions, the other traits might. For the study, people who are considered hedonistic are people who put pleasure first and enjoy life. An adventurer is someone who takes risks and likes surprises. Someone who is open refers to a person who is creative and open to new ideas. A powerful person has money or is someone who has others under their authority. Universidad Adolfo Ibanez associate professor of marketing Todd Pezzuti, lead researcher on the study, offered up — like it or not — tech billionaire Elon Musk as someone who hits all six markers. So, who are New Zealanders that possess the formula that equals cool? I've come up with five New Zealanders who hit all six traits, thus making them verifiably cool, according to science. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but a starting point for who makes the cut. Taika Waititi It is hard to know what a person is like in private, but by all accounts, the film director, script writer and actor is an extrovert to the max. Creative risk-taking on early projects such as Boy , What We Do in the Shadows and Thor: Ragnarok vaulted him to the upper tier of Hollywood, winning an Oscar as proof. As for hedonism, Waititi is living his best life with his wife, singer Rita Ora. And what is a director who does not love bossing people around on set? Parris Goebel Goebel is from South Auckland and is one of the most sought-after choreographers in the world, working with the likes of Rihanna and, most recently, on the viral dance for Lady Gaga's Abracadabra music video. If her Instagram account is anything to go by (she has a $ for the s in her username), then she is living the good life — working with Beyonce, attending the Formula One or standing in front of a van in some lush furry coat. Like directing, the essence of a choreographer is telling people what to do and embracing the new. Steven Adams Rotorua-born NBA player Steven Adams no doubt has presence at a towering 211cm (6ft 11in), helping him secure a $US39 million ($NZ65m) deal with the Houston Rockets this year. That is some nice money to live a good life, although a lot of photos on his Instagram account are of his dog, a Belgian malinois, which he describes as a small German shepherd, so not exactly a designer dog. In 2024, he finished second in team-mate of the year voting, with superstar Steph Curry in the first spot, so let's assume a bunch of really tall guys listen when Adams speaks. Te Aorere Pewhairangi The social media star and te reo Māori and tikanga consultant has some influence. He learned his te reo Māori through a full-immersion school. It landed him the prized gig of te reo commentator for the All Blacks during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. When he is not filming hilarious social media content with former boxer Mike Tyson in Las Vegas, he is knee deep in community advocacy and adventure. Case in point was his 12-day walk in 2023 along State Highway35 to raise funds and awareness for the Gisborne region after it was devastated a month earlier by Cyclone Gabrielle. Lorde While we are in Lorde overload right now following a months-long build-up to her new album, Virgin — it reached No 1 on the UK and US charts — it would be ignorant not to mention her in this list. After all, David Bowie called her "the future of music". She breaks barriers with her art, and Virgin shows her openness to new sounds and new ideas such as using psychedelic drugs as therapy. Attending the Met Gala in New York in a custom Thom Browne design gets you instant hedonistic status. Honorary mentions Tayi Tibble: The poet was crowned an "It Girl" by the New York Times in 2024. Winston Peters: The well-groomed politician had an adventurous start to his working life as a tunneler on a hydro-electric construction project in Australia. Arguably, he hits all the markers of being cool, according to the research. Jujulips: The South African-born, Auckland-raised hip-hop artist is also on her way to becoming a style icon. Peter Thiel: One of the original tech bros, the American billionaire is a mirror of Elon Musk (they were key figures in forming PayPal), and Thiel got his New Zealand citizenship in 2011. Anna Mowbray: The entrepreneur moved to China to work on the toy company ZURU with her brothers. The wealth generated from that venture resulted in a recent and very hedonistic — and controversial — application to have a helipad built on her inner-city Auckland property. Dai Henwood: The comedian and New Zealand household name has made us laugh and cry for decades, even while in the midst of treatment for stage 4 cancer. The checklist Recent research showed cool people tend to have the following traits.— • Extroverted. • Hedonistic. • Powerful. • Adventurous. • Open. • Autonomous.
Scoop
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Te Aroha Softball Club Receives Matariki Award
Thursday, 19 June 2025, 12:37 pm Press Release: New Zealand Amateur Sport Association 19 June 2025 The New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2025 Te Tohu Tiketike o Matariki award has been made to the Te Aroha Softball Club, Waiwhetū, Hutt City. The award was announced today by Association Patron, Andy Leslie, ONZM who convened the award selection panel. The award, decided in collaboration with Te Upoko o te Ika, Aotearoa's first te reo Māori radio station, acknowledges a community sport organisation which has embraced te reo Māori as part of its kaupapa. The award also acknowledges National Volunteer Week (Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu), with the recipient reliant on volunteers to deliver sport to its local community. Andy Leslie (a member of the New Zealand Softball Team at the World Championships in Mexico City in 1966) said that 'softball as a sport is a wonderful way for communities to come together, in an inclusive, fun environment. The Te Aroha Softball Club has extended that environment to integrate te ao Māori into the game, acknowledging the whakapapa of the local area and its sporting community.' Association Chairman Gordon Noble-Campbell said that 'as a club with a history that goes back over 80 years, Te Aroha Softball Club's strength and longevity can be traced back (along with many other Te Aroha sporting codes and affiliates), to Te Aroha Hutt Valley Māori Association, which originally focused on bringing together Māori who had moved to the Wellington region.' Through the values of whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga, (which are the foundation of Arohanui ki te Tangata) and the building of Waiwhetū Marae, many sporting codes became affiliated to Te Aroha Hutt Valley Māori Association. Today, the Association continues to be active in supporting Te Aroha Softball Club, and it's junior and senior teams which have achieved success at local, national and international levels. Adrian Tangaroa Wagner, General Manager of Te Upoko o te Ika said that 'community sport is an important way for te reo Māori to become more familiar to a larger number of people, with this year's award again acknowledging how this can become an integral part of our overall approach to building healthy communities through sport'. Previous awards have been made to: in 2022, the Otaki Surf Lifesaving Club Inc. (Horowhenua Kapiti), in 2023, the YMP Hockey Club (Poverty Bay), and in 2024, the Papuni Otautahi Boxing Trust, (Canterbury). © Scoop Media
The Spinoff
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
Gold Guitar winner criticises awards, says ‘brown faces' were treated unfairly
Micro-aggressions and a difficult history with te reo Māori is why last year's Gold Guitar winner says she won't return to the ceremony or its homeland of Gore. Country singer and 2024 Gold Guitar main prize winner Amy Maynard has vowed publicly to never return to the ceremony and its host town of Gore, after facing what she believes were racially-charged micro-aggressions. She said the ceremony has a history of failing to recognise te reo Māori, and hopes her experience could push the Gold Guitar organisers to create a safer environment for Māori performers and punters. But the organisers say they'd rather sort out their differences in private. Aotearoa's premier country music awards, the Gold Guitar Awards, have been held every year since 1974 (excluding 2020) in Gore, as the last hurrah in the Tussock Country Music Festival schedule. Its honourees include the likes of Tami Neilson and Kaylee Bell, and in 2024, Maynard picked up the ceremony's senior award. Maynard told The Spinoff she had spent most of the festival last year – her first time at the ceremony – keeping to herself, and focusing on performing in several spots across the awards circuit. Returning this year as a one-off performer and attendee, Maynard says the environment at the awards was 'really disheartening'. She said that in her experience, the awards' security were more likely to reprimand 'brown faces' for actions such as singing, dancing or talking during performances. Her 16-year-old son, dressed in baggy clothing, was also stopped multiple times and questioned about why he was at the awards. It was not just staff, but attendees that Maynard said made the awards feel unwelcoming. While one singer performed a reo Māori waiata, Maynard said an older Pākehā couple made disparaging comments about the choice of song. When The Spinoff called the Gold Guitar office, convener Phillip Geary answered. 'I don't want to comment in a public forum,' Geary replied, when asked about Maynard's experience. In 2012, a Gore District Council employee left their job after criticising the Gold Guitar Awards. She had competed in the Gold Guitar Young Ambassador Awards, and wrote on Facebook that she 'kicked ass at everything and then didn't win, go figure … I think I was too brown for them bro'. At the time, Geary said he didn't believe Green needed to resign. 'With the way social media is these days, we've got to expect stuff like this. We're not overly concerned about it.' 'As a Māori woman in this industry, it's hard when you're constantly fighting this uphill battle,' Maynard told The Spinoff. 'These people have built this idea of what you're going to be in their minds'. Maynard also criticised the awards' policy that bars anyone other than the slated performer from appearing onstage. Maynard requested her mother and daughter sing with her, as 'you should be allowed to provide and perform the show that you would like to put on for people … for me, that includes highlighting and showcasing my family, because whakawhanaungatanga is always going to be something I'm huge about'. The response from the awards was that it would 'set a bad precedent'. The rule affected another act, Sharon Russell and Lesley Nia Nia, who had won the previous year's classic award. Russell had travelled to the ceremony without Nia Nia, who could not attend for personal reasons, but with her grandson as a replacement. Maynard claims Russell was told she couldn't perform and her act was replaced. Maynard shared these experiences in a long social media post, which The Spinoff understands the Gold Guitar organisers have seen. Television personality Mike Puru, who MC'd the event, left a message of support on Maynard's post promising to take her comments to the ceremony's board. 'I'm so sorry that happened – I had no idea … I'm saddened by all of that, especially being a Māori fella from Gore,' Puru wrote. 'I know what you mean.' In the last year, against the backdrop of the Treaty principles bill and Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi, Maynard said she had noticed anti-Māori rhetoric had become more 'vocal'. The singer, who lives in Hamilton, said she doesn't feel comfortable returning to Gore or to the Gold Guitar Awards. 'I hope this opens a conversation for them.'
