Maori Community Awards: A Night For Stars

Media release

A Night For The Stars To Shine

Te Taumata Runanga yesterday (Thursday 27 June 2007) held their Biennial Maori Community Awards. This year's award ceremony coincided with Matariki, the Maori New Year marked by the rising of the Pleiades constellation.

The Taumata is a standing committee of Waitakere City Council, providing advice and guidance regarding Maori aspirations and priorities in the city. The awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Maori Community achievement, leadership and service. The award recipients for 2007, along with their nominated categories, are:

Yvonne Hawke / Education
Warahi Paki / Social and Community Services
Fred Holloway / Social and Community Services
Trevor Mulligan / Sports, Social, Health and Community Services
Jenny Marshall / Education, Social Services and Health
John Hettig / Social Services
Shane White / Social Services, Youth, Education, Arts and Culture
Bella Te Pou / Sports, Social Services, Education and Youth
Willie Tahuri / Sports, Social Services, Education and Youth
Eru Thompson / Social Services and Health, Education, Arts and Culture,
Priscilla Apihai Veitch / Education
Gary Holder / Arts and Culture
Irene Frost / Sports and Social Services
Makareta Tino / Education and Sport
Kelly King / Environment, Arts and Culture
Sasfron Julian-Hunapo / Youth and Sport

Guests were entertained by an impressive line up of local Maori musicians, and the guest speaker was the inaugural chairman of Te Taumata Runanga, Dr Pita Sharples. Pita reflected on the achievements of local Maori over the years, and on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

The evening celebration concluded with a rousing performance by Pounamu, a group established by local Maori Performing Arts icons, Ngapo and Pimia Wehi.

ENDS

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