Māori film and television Puhi Rangiaho passes away
A pioneer in Māori film and television has died. Puhi Rangiaho, of Ngāi Tūhoe, passed away after a long illness. But as Peata Melbourne reports, the trail blazing director will always be remembered for her dedication and commitment to te reo Māori. Te...
A Maori activist's fight for his people after being accused of running a paramilitary training camp in New Zealand. In 2007 New Zealand police arrested charismatic Maori leader Tame Iti and others in anti-terrorist raids after a period of surveillance. In a long trial, Iti and three other people (the "Urewera Four") were accused of running a terrorist training camp and of being members of a criminal...
A movement to imbue land, rivers, and entire ecosystems with legal personhood status is gaining ground in the U.S. o years ago, when New Zealand’s government granted legal personhood to one of its 13 national parks—Te Urewera, a lush, forested landscape teeming with trails and waterfalls on the North Island—some 821 square miles was suddenly protected not as land but as a citizen. The law was called...
The biggest TV star you've never heard of
Reality TV's new kid on the block used to shear sheep. Now, Bailey Mackey (Te Urewera/Ngati Rongo ), the man behind 'The GC' and 'Sidewalk Karaoke', has a career on the verge of becoming life-changing. It is 9.30am on a Wednesday and TV hotshot Bailey Mackey's office, tucked above an auto repair shop at an industrial unit in Auckland, is a hive of activity. Some of the 22 staff are animatedly discussing ideas for...
Te Marunui Hotene has graduated from his arts degree with first class honours and begun his Masters degree. His days are spent within the Taneatua Gallery studio "just painting". The last time the Whakatane News spoke to Te Marunui he had just opened his Chur exhibition at the Taneatua gallery. He was the second artist to show his work at the gallery after its establishment early last...
Congestion likely from bridge closure
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) staff will work closely with the Whakatane District Council to find ways of easing traffic congestion issues during a planned three-month maintenance closure of the Peketahi Bridge at Taneatua. An NZTA briefing on the re-decking of the bridge provided at last week's Council Projects and Services Committee meeting indicated a planned start to the project before Christmas, with the closure extending until...
