Sunday, 21 November 2010

21 Whiringa ā Rangi 2010

"Kia ū ki te pai."
Cleave to that which is good.
This week's whakatauki is explained by Lelie Jackson Pearcy (nō Ngāti Kahungunu, Tūhoe).

The Ragged is the latest offering by the Te Rakau Hua o Te Wao Tapu Trust theatre company. Featuring an ensemble cast of 35, the play gives a fictional account of the settlement of Wellington. Maraea Rakuraku sits in on a rehearsal and talks with its creators Jim Moriarty and Helen Pearse-Otene.

Hukarere Girls' College opened its doors in 1875 and it's been going strong ever since as a boarding school for Māori girls, even though it's shifted to different locations in Hawkes Bay during this time. Old girl and current deputy principal Lelie Jackson Pearson (nō Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu) talks about the school's distinguished history. During her visit, Justine Murray is treated to a tour and an impromptu concert.

One of current student leaders at Hukarere is Trinity Fox, who has just received a major scholarship to attend the University of Auckland. As her time at Hukarere draws to a close, she reminisces about the schoolgirl pranks that go hand-in-hand with being a boarder for five years.

Huirapa Marae, Puketeraki, in Karitane (near Dunedin) is the venue in 2010 of the Kai Tahu hui-a-iwi ― the major annual gathering of the South Island's dominant iwi. Suzanne Ellison explains the logistics of running a hui where well over 1000 people are expected.

Waiata featured:

Kotiro Māori e performed for Radio New Zealand by students at Hukarere Girls' College on 14 November 2010

Homesick performed by Stan Walker on his new album From the Inside out (2010)