Pōhutukawa is the Star of maumahara/remembrance
Pōhutukawa holds tight to our memories of treasured people who have passed on. She encourages us to take time to remember them, and to acknowledge their impact on our lives.
She connects Matariki to the dead and is the star that carries our deceased across the year.
WHAKATAUKĪ:
Ka mua, ka muri – walking backwards into the future
THIS YEAR WE ARE HONOURING TWO IMPORTANT RAKATIRA WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2021:
Dame Georgina Kirby DBO QSE JP
(31 January 1936 – 11 June 2021)
Dame Georgina was known for her advocacy in a variety of fields including forming Māori Women's Development Incorporated to help Māori women who could not obtain loan grants. She secured a $250,000 seed grant from the Department of Māori Affairs Mana enterprise loan scheme to set up the fund, which today has more than $4 million in assets and has helped hundreds of wāhine into businesses through loans, training programmes and mentoring.
She was president of the Māori Women's Welfare League from 1983 to 1987, launching both stop smoking and weight reduction campaigns as part of the league’s Decade for Health programme. Later, as a trustee of the Māori Women’s Welfare League, she formed the first Te Kōhanga National trust with Sir Graham Latimer and Sir John Bennett.
From 1983-86, she was Commissioner of New Zealand at the World Expo.
In 1984, Kirby launched the Rapuora Māori Women’s Health Survey.
In the following year, she established Whare Rapuora Health and Wellness Clinics throughout New Zealand. She was the founder and director trustee of the Māori Women’s Development Fund from 1987.
https://www.teaomaori.news/social-entrepreneur-dame-georgina-kirby-has-died
https://www.teaomaori.news/maori-womens-welfare-league-pays-tribute-dame-georgina-kirby
RICHARD NUNNS QSM (1945 – 7 June 2021)
Richard Nunns, was one of New Zealand’s most remarkable instrumentalists, he was 76 when he passed away this year.
Richard Nunns, Māori musician Hirini Melbourne and artist Brian Flintoff were renowned for reviving interest in traditional Māori instruments or taoka pūoro.
Together they researched and recorded instruments held in museum collections, many of which had not been played for over a century, rediscovering their unique sounds and techniques to play them.
After Richard, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2005, he rarely appeared in public but used music as a healing therapy.
He collected numerous awards for his work. He was an arts laureate and honorary life member of the New Zealand Flute Association; received an honorary doctorate of music from Victoria University and a Queens Service Medal for services to taoka pūoro.
A lifetime contribution to Māori music prize was awarded to him at the Waiata Māori Music Awards in 2012.
Watch Richard Nunns playing the pūtōrino in this video from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
https://www.teaomaori.news/renowned-taonga-puoro-musician-richard-nunns-dies
Remembering Richard Nunns by Moana Maniapoto
BOOKLIST:
Dame Georgina Kirby
Growing Tall Poppies: Excellence in top New Zealanders - Michele Cox
Maori Sovereignty: The Maori perspective - Hineani Melbourne
Richard Nunns
Te Ara Puoro: A journey into the world of Māori music - Richard Nunns with Allan Thomas
Toiapiapi: he huinga o nga kura puoro a te Maori - Hirini Melbourne
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