MEDIA STATEMENT

11 February 2015

Māori Party pays tribute to a visionary Māori performing arts leader

E te rangatira o te Whare Tapere o Ngāti Kahungunu, o te ao Māori hoki, haere. Haere ki ō mātua tīpuna noho mai hei whetū ki te rangi. Ko tō tātau pāpā, a Tākuta Apirana Mahuika hei hoa haere mōhau. E auē ana te Tairāwhiti, e auē ana te iwi Māori!

“Tama Huata lived and breathed for Māori performing arts. He has made a massive contribution to its development and exposure both here and overseas,” says Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox.

Mr Huata founded the Kahurangi Dance Theatre and the Takitimu Performing Arts School in 1983 as well as developing this country’s first Māori Performing Arts degree. These schools have nurtured generations of performers and created a viable industry for Māori artists.

At a community level, he organised Waitangi Day, Matariki and the Takitimu festivals. He also established the Waiata Māori Music Awards to celebrate Māori musicians and Kaumātua Kapa Haka.

“Tama Huata charged ahead with new performing arts initiatives, and always saw the opportunities never the barriers,” says Mrs Fox.

Huata received a New Zealand Order of Merit for his dedication to Māori performing arts in 2006.

Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says the death of Tama Huata is a “big blow” for East Coast iwi who have lost two great leaders this week with the passing of Dr Apirana Mahuika earlier this week.

“The Māori Party extends our aroha to the whānau of Tama Huata, his iwi: Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou as well as the Māori Performing Arts community who will be mourning his loss.

“His legacy of innovation and excellence will continue to guide the Māori performing arts community for generations to come,” says Mr Flavell.

ENDS.

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