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4 Haratua (May) 2008

"Ma tau rourou, ma taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi"
"Through everyone's individual contribution, we will all benefit"
- Text from Pou Korero by Carol Archie

Launched on the August 27 last year, Pou Korero is a book designed to assist Journalist report on issues and events involving Mäori. Written by Carol Archie, the book covers a number of topics, from issues involving the Treaty of Waitangi through to covering events such as Tangi. Pou Korero draws on the experiences from a number Maori who have been involved in different forms of the media, including Shane Taurima (TVNZ), Ruth Berry (ex-NZ Herald), Te Anga Nathan (Maori Television), and Lois Williams (RNZ). Te Ahi Kaa reviews Pou Korero with David Reid, a journalist from Scotland. We find out if Pou Korero satisfies the needs of a Journalist with little exposure to Te Ao Mäori?

2008 will be an interesting year in politics, with the election due to be held later this year. Will it be the fourth time in a row that the Labour Party holds onto office or will John Key lead his party into power? What will happen to the minor parties such as Act, NZ First and the Greens? And there is the election within the election, with the Maori party aiming to make a clean sweep of the all Maori seats. Conveying what each party stands for, places the media in an important position. Tina Wickliffe (Ngati Porou) is the Political reporter for Maori Television. This week on Te Ahi Kaa, she describes the responsibility that comes with the role, and what it is like for a Maori reporting from the corridors of power.

Pre-European time in Aotearoa saw Māori develop the greenstone trails' across the Southern Alps. These tracks were used to move raw materials from the west coast to the east for trade with North Island iwi. Some tracks are still in use today including the Heaphy and Wangapeka tracks, and also the Whakatipu trails in and around Queenstown, including the Milford and Routeburn tracks. Earlier this year Dr Rawiri Taonui decided to retrace one of the Ponamu trading trails, a journey of 16 days and 450 kilometers. He explains to Te Ahi Kaa what drove him to explore the old tracks, and what his journey was dedicated to.

Haratua is a month where Aoteaoroa celebrates its singers and songwriters, with a number of events dedicated to New Zealand Music Month. The Archival segment, Nga Taonga Korero, will be dedicated to Maori singers and songwriters this month, starting with Prince Tui Teka. In a recording from 1982, Tumanako Teka or Prince Tui Teka (Tuhoe) describes his life, from growing up in Ruatoki through to his life in the entertainment industry.