Ko Witi tōku ingoa: Esteemed NZ author's te reo immersion
At 80, Witi Ihimaera threw himself in the deep end: a year-long commitment to a full-time Māori language immersion class.
It was May 2024, and Witi Ihimaera was meant to be at a noho marae in Port Waikato, flexing his growing vocabulary in kōrerorero with his fellow students; maybe even risking a moe on the wharenui floor overnight, snorers allowing.
Instead, the eminent writer was 18,000km away, zipping between appearances in Paris for the launch of his sixth book
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NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Ko Witi tōku ingoa: Esteemed NZ author's te reo immersion
At 80, Witi Ihimaera threw himself in the deep end: a year-long commitment to a full-time Māori language immersion class. It was May 2024, and Witi Ihimaera was meant to be at a noho marae in Port Waikato, flexing his growing vocabulary in kōrerorero with his fellow students; maybe even risking a moe on the wharenui floor overnight, snorers allowing. Instead, the eminent writer was 18,000km away, zipping between appearances in Paris for the launch of his sixth book
The Spinoff
6 days ago
- The Spinoff
Event noticeboard: Kite making, sequinned quilts and multi-sensory films
The Spinoff's top picks of events from around the motu. I have always wanted to taste tītī (and kererū, but that's a different story). In photos I've seen those two little leg bones poking out of perfectly golden little bodies. The fact that they're harvested annually from windy rocks in the cold Foveaux Strait makes them especially tantalising. Tītī can be bought brined and in buckets online but if I was to cook one myself I would never really know if I'd done it right. If I'm going to eat a delicacy, especially in the form of a little salty, fishy seabird, I want to know its just as intended. This is why I'm jealous of southerners this week. Those in Invercargill can treat themselves to a pre-Matariki feast of tītī and learn about the birds, islands, harvest and traditions at the same time at The Batch Cafe. I will have to settle for finally having tried something else I've had my eye on, cacio e pepe at Pici in Auckland. It was salty, and it looked like a bowl of worms. So fun to try new things! Workshop: Manu Raupō with Alicia Courtney Hihiaua Cultural Centre, 56-58 Herekino Street, Whangārei 10am Saturday, June 7 Koha appreciated, registration needed Māori kites are often called manu tukutuku, with tukutuku referring to the winding out of the line. They are flown to celebrate Matariki and are thought of as a way to communicate with loved ones who have died and a way to connect Papa and Rangi through flight. There were at least 17 different types of manu tukutuku before colonisation, but only three types have survived. Traditionally kites were decorated with feathers, shells, carved faces and red and black patterns. Some had long feather tails or rattling shells. On Saturday morning you can make your very own kite from raupō (bulrush) in prepartion for Matariki with guidance from local artist Alicia Courtney (Pākehā). Courtney has spent time at Hoani Waititi Marae where she learned tikanga and became involved with Māori material culture. She has been guided by many kaumatua of Tai Tokerau. Her artistic practice is inspired by traditional Māori materials and methods and searches for a balance between respecting the technology of te ao tawhito (traditional Māori life and customs) with the necessity of living in te ao hurihuri (the contemporary world). The workshop is part of a wider festival for Matariki called Pūanga. The following two events at Hihiaua are based on storytelling and look great too. Paihia Music: Ngati Soul Music Bad Habits, 76 Marsden Road, Paihia 6-9pm Friday, June 6 Free entry Ngati Soul plays music for those that don't just get wet, but feel the rain. He plays songs by Sublime, Otis Redding, Maroon 5 and more. Matakana Film: The Scammers Matakana Cinemas, 2 Matakana Valley Road, Matakana 10.30am Wednesday, June 11 $14 – $22 Bon soir! The French Film Festival is on nationwide, with heaps showing at the Matakana Cinemas. See the full programme here. Tāmaki Makaurau Music: Junk Fest 2025 Double Whammy, downstairs at St Kevin's Arcade, 183 Karangahape Road 8pm, Saturday, June 7 $35 – $50 Junk Fest sold out last year and is back with a siiiiick line up including Vera Ellen, Twine, Hōhā and Scrambline. Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland 10am-4.30pm daily Free Kokonga Ngākau includes five quilt figures: family members, deities, taniwha, merpeople. The title comes from the whakataukī 'He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea' (The corners of a house can be seen, but not the corners of the heart). Tauranga It isn't likely you will see a wild kiwi, given they run a mile when they hear humans coming, but you will discover nocturnal creepy-crawlies like spiders and wētā and incredible glow-in-the-dark fungi. Rotorua Film: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Sir Howard Morrison Centre, 1170 Fenton St, Rotorua 7pm Friday June 6 $25 – $31 More than two hours of inspiring action, environmental, cultural and adventure films from around the world. Te Whanganui-a-Tara Theatre: Tūī Girls Basement Theatre, Te Whaea – National Dance & Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown 6.30pm and 4.30pm June 11-14 $15 – $25 Michaella Steel's new play about a Nan returning to spend her last few days with her beloved mokos before te rerenga wairua. Blenheim ASB Theatre Marlborough, 2 Hutcheson St, Blenheim 7pm Thursday, June 5 $48 'From the elegance of the classical era to the emotion of contemporary voices, Masterworks showcases the full power and beauty of live orchestral music.' Kaikōura Festival: Kaikōura Oceans Day Festival Fyffe House, 62 Avoca Street, Kaikōura 10am Sunday, June 8 Free Join Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute to celebrate World Ocean Day at Fyffe House. Ōtautahi Gemma Syme's multimedia project explores how personas are constructed, documented, represented and ripped apart. For its anniversary The Wet EP has been reissued with new video work in collaboration with Ōtautahi based artist Pentaloe. Ōtepoti Athenaeum Theatre, 23 The Octagon, Central Dunedin 6pm Friday, June 6 Free Five new films embracing multi-sensorial knowledge systems by artists Kah Bee Chow, Selina Ershadi, Kite, Sonya Lacey and James Tapsell-Kururangi. Invercargill The Batch Cafe, 173 Spey Street, Invercargill 6pm Friday, June 6 $120 Join mahinga kai champion and storyteller Dan Tarrant, generous Ricky Fife and chef Ethan Flack for an evening of Tītī: a five-course meal, the birds, the islands, the harvest, the traditions and the whakapapa that binds it all.
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
New show to feature South, encourage connection with whenua
Kahurangi Mahuika sits in Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands during the filming of upcoming show Nomad. PHOTO: ALEX BRADSHAW / FIRE FIRE PRODUCTIONS The face of an upcoming programme showcasing Māori across Te Waipounamu (the South Island) hopes it will encourage all people to connect to the land. Tonight the show, called Nomad, will premiere on Whakaata Māori and online platform MĀORI+. The show follows Kahurangi Mahuika, a young Māori nomad, as he explores the South with his family and pursues a life lived off the land, just as his tīpuna did. Through his journey, Kahurangi meets people from places all over Te Waipounamu who are living self-sufficiently. Episode four takes Otago and Southland viewers to the familiar Taieri Plains in Otago, then down to the Ōtapiri area in Southland. Mr Mahuika said the episode, partially set in the Sinclair Wetlands, would see him catching up with a cousin named Tumai Cassidy, who was leading a project focused on restoration of ancestral land returned to Kāi Tahu. "It was awesome just to see the whenua, see what their project is doing — they have a massive range from nurseries to breaking down whale blubber ... and trying to bring the biodiversity of their wetlands [back] to their former glory." He said they were showcasing a lifestyle alternative to the classic "go to school to go to university, get a job and eventually retire" social norm. "I would love to think we could help inspire more of our young people, our Māori people and all people to be more conscious of the environment and the lifestyle that they lead. "We can create something beautiful with balance — it takes sacrifice, but at the end of the day it is worth it," he said. Mr Mahuika first made connections to the series creator — Alex Bradshaw from Fire Fire Productions — when filming another show called West Coasters, which chronicles the way of life for Māori living along the West Coast of New Zealand. "I jumped in on that kaupapa ... I was on their series for a couple of episodes, nothing major." After that, Mr Bradshaw asked if Mr Mahuika if he would like to collaborate on something in the future — and a few years later Nomad was born. "They designed this show ... as a thought or a whakaaro around a Māori family in the South Island, and how they connect to the land."
