The constant and unfailing support for Maori arts and culture from Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu is tonight being honoured by Te Waka Toi, the Maori arts board of Creative New Zealand.

Te Waka Toi is presenting its premiere award Te Tohu Tiketike a Te Waka Toi to Te Arikinui in recognition of her patronage and support of Maori arts events.

“Her support enhances the mana of both the events she so diligently supports, and for Maori arts in general,” says Te Waka Toi Chair Elizabeth Ellis.

“In particular, she has been the long-time patron of our national kapa haka competitions and major organisations like the Maori Women’s Welfare League. She has been at the forefront of Maori language revival through her involvement in Kohanga Reo. From 1974 until 1994, she was the patron of the annual conferences and exhibitions of Nga Puna Waihanga – the organisation that spearheaded much of the development of contemporary Maori art.

“More recently, we were privileged to have her as our cultural and traditional leader of the Aotearoa Delegation to the 9th Festival of Pacific Arts in the Republic of Palau. She attended as many of the events involving Aotearoa artists as possible and her presence was a boost to our artists.

“As well, her attendance for the entire duration of the festival was much appreciated by organisers and other delegations. It is clear that she is regarded as a leader of great standing throughout the Pacific,” Ms Ellis said.

The award is being presented to Te Arikinui tonight at Te Waka Toi Awards in Wellington by former Governor General Sir Paul Reeves and a number of the award’s previous recipients. The annual awards ceremony celebrates Maori arts and acknowledges the contributions made by individuals around the country at both a national level and in their own communities.

The five Nga Tohu a Ta Kingi Ihaka/Sir Kingi Ihaka Awards are awarded to kaumatua around the country whose lives have been dedicated to helping retain Maori arts and culture in their communities.

“They are the people that keep the home fires burning,” Ms Ellis said.

This year’s recipients are:
• Nicholas Graham (Tiny) Metzger (Kai Tahu), Bluff
• Georgina Kiripuai Te Aomarere (Ngati Raukawa ki te tonga), Otaki
• Sir Henare and Lady Rora Lorna Ngata (Ngati Porou), Gisborne
• Dorothy Huhana (Bubbles) Mihinui (Ngapuhi, Te Arawa), Rotorua.

“As well, Te Waka Toi recognises te reo Maori as integral to the preservation of Maori arts and culture with the Te Tohu mo Ngoi Kumeroa Pewhairangi/Ngoi Pewhairangi Award for Te Reo Rangatira.

“This year’s recipients are Kaikohe couple Andy and Kath Sarich (Ngapuhi), who were also recently honoured with the Queen’s Service Medal for community service. Their commitment to te reo Maori teaching and learning, as well as a wide range of service to other Maori social development initiatives, is unquestionable.

“Te Tohu Mahi Hou at Te Waka Toi/Te Waka Toi Award for New Work has gone to singer Whirimako Black for her involvement in the 1 Giant Leap project. Whirimako has long been regarded as a taonga among Maori music circles but her involvement in this project, which sold more than a million copies worldwide, has taken te reo Maori music to new heights.”

Scholarships were also presented to three post-secondary students studying in a Maori arts related area. This year’s recipients are:

• Aimee Ratana, 26 (Ngai Tuhoe), a final-year student, Masters in Maori Visual Arts, Massey University, Palmerston North
• Te Kohe Tuhaka, 22 (Ngati Porou, Ngai Tuhoe), a final-year student, Bachelor in Performing Arts, majoring in acting, at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School, Wellington
• Donna Walford, 32, (Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu), a third-year student, Fashion Design, Massey University, Wellington.

Te Tohu Tiketike/Te Waka Toi Exemplary Award
Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, (Tainui)
Since her accession in 1966 Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu has been a constant supporter of Maori arts. Her commitment covers a wide range of artforms, including:

From 1974 until 1994 she was the patron of the annual conferences and exhibitions of Nga Puna Waihanga, the organisation that spearheaded much of the development of contemporary Maori art.

She has been patron of Te Moananui a Kiwa Weavers Hui from 1983. She also pursues an interest in the retention of te reo Maori as a patron of the kohanga reo movement.

She has commissioned a number of major artworks, including commissioning Para Matchitt to do the great mural Te Whanaketanga o nga iwi o Tainui for Kimiora Centre Turangawaewae.

She has opened a number of exhibitions, including Te Maori Exhibition at the Field Museum, Chicago. She also commissioned with the New Zealand Film Archive the feature film Mana Waka, based on the archival material from Turongo House collection.

She is the cultural and traditional leader of the Aotearoa Delegation to the Festival of Pacific Arts, held every four years, where her presence adds mana to the delegation’s participation in the festival.

Te Tohu mo Ngoi Kumeroa Pewhairangi / Ngoi Pewhairangi Award for Te Reo Rangatira
Andrew (Andy) Sarich and Kataraina (Kath) Puketapu Sarich (Ngapuhi)

Education is paramount in the world of Andy and Kath Sarich. The Kaikohe couple have spent decades working on various community and education organisations, dedicating much of their life to the social advancement of Maori and the retention of te reo Maori.

Andy Sarich was born on 30 July 1933. He was one of 16 children so his schooling was often interrupted to help ensure the family survived. But despite that he is committed to Maori advancement through education and has worked throughout his life on Maori education initiatives like kohanga reo, kura kaupapa, and Te Reo o Te Tai Tokerau. He sees an urgent need to recruit and train teachers in te reo Maori but also for speakers of te reo Maori to use the language as much as possible. More recently, he used his passion for te reo Maori in a new forum – appearing as Tupara (Tubal) in Don Selwyn’s The Maori Merchant of Venice, his first acting job. He maintains a strong desire to continue promoting and advancing initiatives which will deliver the best possible outcomes for Maori.

Kath Sarich was born on 4 September 1930. She was the youngest of 12 children and after her mother died when she was six, she was brought up by her father who firmly believed in education as the most important requirement for his children if they were to make a contribution to their family and society. It’s a view she still holds dear today and remains active in mentoring for teachers in primary and secondary schools. In the past, she has held administrative positions for a large number of organisations and events including Te Reo o Tai Tokerau, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori, Tai Tokerau Secondary Schools Cultural Festival and Ngä Manu Korero Competitions.

Andy and Kath Sarich were awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for Community Service in the 2004 New Year’s Honours list.

Nga Tohu a Ta Kingi Ihaka/Sir Kingi Ihaka Awards
Nicholas Graham (Tiny) Metzger (Kai Tahu)
When Te Rau Aroha Marae was completed in Bluff last year, the new wharekai paid homage to one of the region’s delicacies, the titi or mutton bird. Making a major contribution to that was Tiny Metztger (born 1 September 1932) whose poha (the containers used to store preserved mutton birds) hang from tukutuku panels that decorate the wharekai to complement master carver Cliff Whiting’s representations of the titi. The building of that marae was also instrumental in Tiny being able to resurrect and pass on knowledge about the knots used in making poha – a knot that was widespread in times gone but largely lost.

Tiny Metzger was born and raised in Greenhills just north of Bluff and now lives in Bluff. His passion lies in teaching Matauraka Maori (knowledge of things Maori) to generations of Kai Tahu to ensure the retention and value of their heritage and identity.

Dorothy Huhana (Bubbles) Mihinui (Nga Puhi, Te Arawa)
Bubbles Mihinui (born 1919) has spent almost her entire life sharing Maori arts and culture with international visitors through her role as a guide at Rotorua’s famous Whakarewarewa Village and geothermal area. Guide Bubbles became an apprentice guide in 1936 and was licensed in 1938.

She served under the likes of Guide Rangi (Rangitiaria Dennan) and Guide Bella (Bella Papakura) and became senior guide at Whakarewarewa in 1970 following the death of Guide Rangi. In 2002, Guide Bubbles was awarded the Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit at her home marae of Te Pakira, Whakarewarewa.

Georgina Kiripuai Te Aomarere (Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga)

Kiri Te Aomarere was born 4 June 1916 and has lived most of her life in Otaki. She has spent much of her life dedicated to whanau, marae, hapu and iwi matters.

In the 1970s, she was part of a group instrumental in setting out Whakapuranga Ruamano - the vision for the new millennium for Te Ati Awa ki Whakarongotai, Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Toa (A.R.T). That vision resulted in the establishment of the now flourishing Te Whare Wananga o Raukawa. In particular, she is credited with helping the revival of the number of te reo Maori within A.R.T.

She is a senior kaikaranga exponent within Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga and has represented the rohe in many ways, including at Te Maori exhibition in San Francisco in the 1980s.

Sir Henare and Lady Lorna Ngata
Sir Henare (born 19 December 1917) and Lady Rora Lorna Ngata (born 27 March 1918) from Ngati Porou have been active on the East Coast for more than six decades. They’ve served on a number of community organisations, and have been actively involved in organising and judging kapa haka competitions.

Sir Henare, the last surviving son of Maori politician and academic Sir Apirana Ngata, a chartered accountant by profession, was the chair of the committees that organised national Maori receptions for three major royal tours.

Lady Lorna, a former school teacher, is renowned for sharing her skills in areas like weaving and poi making with schools and other community organisations on the East Coast.

Te Tohu Mahi Hou at Te Waka Toi/Te Waka Toi Award for New Work
Whirimako Black (Tuhoe)
Whirimako is of Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Ranginui, Kahungunu, Te Whakatohea, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa and Ngati Awa descent. Her musical achievements include composing and singing the titles for the acclaimed TVNZ series, The New Zealand Wars, as well as composing with Hori Tait the initial title music for the Maori news programme Te Karere. In 1991, she formed the female Maori band Tuahine Whakairo but left in 1993 to start a solo career. In 2001, she won the New Zealand Music Awards Tui for best Maori Language Album for her debut album, Hinepukohurangi: Shrouded in the Mist.

A second album, Hohou Te Rongo: Cultivate Peace, released in 2003, has also sold well and she has just released her third album, Tangihaku, to favourable reviews. It comprises a collection of poems written by her mother, Anituatua Black and sister Rangitunoa Black, set to music composed by Whirimako and her sister.