Sunday, 31 October 2010

31 Whiringa-ā-nuku (October) 2010

"Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei."
"Pursue what is precious and do not be deterred by anything less than a lofty mountain."
This week's whakatauki is explained by Te Hamua Nikora, nō Ngāti Porou

"We can't eat flowers" was the answer newly-wed Spencer Rei gave to his wife Harriet when she suggested they plant a garden. That was over 50 years ago and it's a good thing Harriet ignored him, as the garden has fed three generations of their whānau, the wider Taranaki community and led to Harriet Rei being named Taranaki finalist in the 2010 New Zealand Gardener of the Year competition. Maraea Rakuraku gets a tour of the garden and learns about Harriet's unique gardening style which involves companion planting, lunar planting and the occasional dousing with seawater.

Māori Television presenter Te Hamua Nikora carries the flag of his Ngāti Porou iwi wherever he goes. In fact he sometimes even goes under the pseudonym the Haati Coastie. It's been a tough year for the 35-year-old as he's had to cope with serious illness. He chats about this candidly with Justine Murray.

Māori fashion designer Kiri Nathan is a finalist at this week's Villa Maria Cult-Couture 2010 event. The Auckland-raised mother of five has steadily increased her fashion profile after taking out the supreme award at the Westfield Style Pasifika 2008, and debuted at last year's New Zealand fashion week. Justine Murray met Kiri at the recent Miromoda Māori fashion show.

In between her responsibilities as Māori Welfare League President and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Cultural Standards advisor Meagan Joe finds time to review the short story collection Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa by Tina Makereti.