Māori Innovation Icons honoured at ATAMIRA: Māori

Māori Innovation Icons honoured at ATAMIRA: Māori in the City

The supreme ‘Eye of the Needle’ Māori Innovation Icon award was presented on Saturday night by the Minister of Māori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples to Travis O’Keefe, founder of Health TV which screens in medical centres as a new way of spreading health and wellbeing information. His vision came from the idea that Māori are more receptive to messages about lifestyle change and health once they are facing the reality of being in a medical centre with a health problem. O’Keefe (Ngāti Porou), is also is a partner in media technology company Creative Gene and shareholder of IMTV.

In addition, these four people were honoured as Innovation Icons:

Alan Wichman (Ngāti Porou/Rarotonga), who developed biological deep tissue treatment and acceleration of cell regeneration which enabled him to save the legs of three patients aged 60+. He also developed an atomic molecular targeting system for waste water treatment.

Glen Katu (Ngāti Rereahu/Ngāti Maniapoto). MWDI Māori Business Award overall excellence winner in 2005; successful 3-year trial of a wild simulated ginseng crop in 2006; launched Toku Gourmet Paua productions in 2007; Harakeke Plantation at Pureroa (2007); opened Pā Harakeke Eco-Cultural Facility at Pureroa in 2009.

Rhonda Kite (Te Aupouri). Award-winning television and film producer, developing multi-lingual IT solutions for film, television and mobile entertainment. Awarded 2007 Hollywood Post Alliance Special Recognition in Engineering Excellence award for Voice Q film sound dubbing system, which is widely used in the global film industry, including the European dubbing of the Tom Cruise movie ‘Valkyrie’.

Taonga Education Centre, Manukau City (Georgina Kupa, Anne Candy, Marama Whaiapa). For providing innovative education opportunities and support systems for teenage pregnant mothers.

And two Innovation Icons for Rangatahi (youth) were presented:

Maurice Tipene (Te Arawa/Ngāti Awa/Ngāpuhi). For innovative mechanics in engineering. He was the captain of the Massey University World VEX Robotics Championship 2008 winning team.

Dr Adele Whyte (Ngāti Kahungunu/Whakatōhea) devised innovative ways of assisting academic achievement in low decile schools in Porirua, graduated PhD in Environmental Toxicology in 2006, resulting in an ongoing research partnership with NgaPuhi and contributing to Kahungunu Marine Management plan.

ATAMIRA - Māori in the City, a biennial expo celebrating Māori creativity and enterprise took place at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland over three days from Friday July 3 to Sunday July 5. An estimated 120,000 people were entertained by many of New Zealand’s top musicians (King Kapisi, Smashproof, Nesian Mystik and more), witnessed displays of creative Māori arts in the modern world and visited market stalls of a wide range of providers.

The multi-faceted event also included a Thrive Business Breakfast attended by many of Auckland’s business people, The National Innovation Summit, attended by key Māori in science and innovation from around the country to discuss innovative ideas with a range of guest speakers, including Innovation Icon award winner Rhonda Kite and television computer animation pioneer Ian Taylor.

ATAMIRA - Māori in the City is hosted by Ngāti Whātua o Ōrakei Corporate Ltd and supported by Te Puni Kōkiri – the Ministry of Māori Development - with Ports of Auckland, Aotearoa Credit Union, Auckland City Council, Waitakere City Council, Manukau City Council and University of Auckland.

© Scoop Media