Tuhono Winner for Cook Islands Competition

16 June 2004

Tuhono Winner for Cook Islands Competition

A West Auckland mother-of-three has scored a trip to the Cook Islands
after a radio competition prompted her to register with the iwi affiliation
service, Tuhono.

Trinette Thaggard from Massey - who's affiliated to Tainui - has won the
chance to walk in the footsteps of her ancestors through a promotion
launched by top Auckland music station, Mai FM 88.6, and its sister
stations, Mai FM 96.7 in Rotorua and Whangarei's Mai FM 97.8

More than 353,000 voters of Maori descent were sent a Tuhono affiliation
form at the beginning of May seeking their consent to pass on their
name, address and iwi affiliation to their iwi and any other Maori
organisations they specify on the form. More information about Tuhono is available on the website - www.maori.org.

Trinette Thaggard, who can claim Maori, Danish, Fijian and Australian
heritage, says she was unsure which box to tick on the Tuhono form until
she called Mai FM on-air personality Doug Te Moni for help.

"I'm enrolled to vote on the Maori roll so I got the form in the post,"
says the 29-year-old. "Douggie helped me to identify my iwi and I also rung up
my Dad's sister to check. So I ticked the right one and sent the form back
- and I couldn't be happier!"

Mai FM breakfast show host Robbie Rakete - who's affiliated to Ngapuhi -
says more than a thousand listeners who had returned their Tuhono forms
entered the draw for a trip for two to the Cook Islands. Rarotanga is
believed to be the final launching place of the waka bound for New
Zealand as part of the great Polynesan migration.

"Through your iwi, your whanau has a valuable stake in iwi assets,
entitlements and benefits," says Robbie. "But your iwi cannot keep in
touch with you if they don't have your current address. That's why we're
encouraging people to complete and return their Tuhono forms as soon as
possible."

The Mai FM radio stations are divisions of Ngati Whatua-owned Mai Media
Limited which also runs record label Mai Music and national Maori
language programme producer Ruia Mai.

ENDS

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