15 hours ago
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- Otago Daily Times
Extra reason to celebrate in Mana Pounamu's 25th year
Mana Pounamu award recipients Jade Taani (left), 17, of Queen's High School, and Camila Barns, 15, of Trinity Catholic College, share a laugh at the University of Otago College of Education Auditorium yesterday. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH
A special milestone for an award ceremony celebrating Maori students across Otago helps a passionate educator's legacy live on, her daughter says.
Māori senior strategic adviser Janine Kapa said it was a special moment for her and her family celebrating the 25th year of the Mana Pounamu awards yesterday at the University of Otago College of Education Auditorium.
The awards were initiated by her mother, Alva Kapa, to acknowledge taiohi Māori (Maori youth) across Otago.
Ms Kapa said her mother died weeks before the first Mana Pounamu in 2001.
"My mum helped conceptualise this and it's been a legacy that not just myself but my whanau have carried.
"Twenty-five years on, it's just grown."
The Mana Pounamu award recipients.
She said her mother thought there should be an award ceremony to recognise achievements of Maori students.
"It came about when my mum saw the Class Act Awards in the late '90s and she didn't see many brown faces, she didn't see many of our kids in there.
"She felt we needed our own celebration because our young Māori students are shining stars and they're achieving some amazing things."
The first Mana Pounamu was held in the Hutton Theatre at Tūhura Otago Museum with just 12 recipients.
Yesterday, there were 53 recipients.
Ms Kapa said it was nice to see students supporting other students in their regions by performing haka for them.
This was the first year the ceremony was split into two sessions, with students from out-of-town schools and Dunedin schools.
Between the sessions, the students shared a hangi for lunch at the Otago Polytechnic hub.
The 2025 Mana Pounamu Young Achievers' Awards recipients:
Tuākana (Years 12 and 13)
Hadley Farquharson (Cromwell College), Sky Sanders (Dunstan High School), Luka May (South Otago High School), Atlanta McDowell-Williams (St Kevin's College), Ryan Enoka (Te Kura o Tititea/Mount Aspiring College), Portia Chambers (The Catlins Area School), Nirvana Collins (Tokomairiro High School), Ned Newlands-Carter (Waitaki Boys' High School), Lilyrose Tuahine (Waitaki Girls' High School), Elisabeth Purdue (Wakatipu High School), Sam Stoddart (Bayfield High School), Shanti Kara (Columba College), Andreis Fuatavai (East Otago High School), Jayden Toro (John McGlashan College), Wairangi Tunoho (Kaikorai Valley College), Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu (King's High School), Sophie Smart (Logan Park High School), William Munro (Otago Boys' High School), Jade Wilson (Otago Girls' High School), Jade Taani (Queen's High School), Lola Murray (St Hilda's Collegiate School), Sarah Evans (Taieri College) Tīrea Campbell (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti) and Evie de Graaf (Trinity Catholic College).
Tēina (Years 10 and 11)
Riley Dickey (Cromwell College), Eli Knights (Dunstan High School), Dakota Nicoll (Maniototo Area School), Kahtaralise Keil (Roxburgh Area School), Kyla Te Moananui-Currie (South Otago High School), Kuramairangi Ainsley (St Kevin's College), Maia Wheeler (Te Kura o Tititea/Mount Aspiring College), Harrison Waaka (The Catlins Area School), Saffron Healey (Tokomairiro High School), Mana Fisilau (Waitaki Boys' High School), Ruby Drummond (Waitaki Girls' High School), Bailey Tiananga (Wakatipu High School), Hunter Moir (Bayfield High School), Honor Blaikie (Columba College), Sophie Hutcherson (East Otago High School), Kura-mātakitaki Stevens (John McGlashan College), Kotuku Wana (Kaikorai Valley College), Tūkitaharaki Pōtiki (King's High School), Aria Molinari (Logan Park High School), Crew Wilson (Otago Boys' High School), Lyla Ward (Otago Girls' High School), Pipiata Ritchie (Queen's High School), Xanthe Dillon (St Hilda's Collegiate School), Cruize Douglas (Taieri College), Ngāki Kiore (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti) and Camila Barns (Trinity Catholic College).
