Te Ngākau Tapatahi: – Interviews With 19 Inspirational New Zealanders – On Māori Television

Nineteen Māori knights and dames get up close and personal in a new series premiering on Māori Television next week.

TE NGĀKAU TAPATAHI talks to 19 legends, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Buck Shelford, Sir Tipene O’Regan and Sir Ian Taylor.

The new series from the Māori Television newsroom premieres weekdays from Monday 17 January at 12.00 PM. The first five episodes will be available on Māori+ from Sunday 16 January and the full series available from Sunday 23 January.

Director, Aroha Awarau, says the series aims to honour their legacies and inspire rangatahi.

“Long before the term ‘influencer’ entered the lexicon, we had these original influencers who scaled the pinnacle of success in their respective fields and, in so doing became role models for subsequent generations of rangatahi,” says Aroha Awarau.

Sir Mason Durie revealed how awkward it was to be referred to as Sir.

“It took me a long time to get used to people calling me ‘sir’ and I still feel awkward. Basically, it didn’t change me and it hasn’t changed the direction that we are moving in,” he said.

Tennis champion, Dame Ruia Morrison, joked: “I’ve been called many things in my life but never a Dame.”

The knights and dames have achieved across multiple fields from entertainment to law and social justice; from healthcare to iwi leadership; from business to te reo advocacy and education.

Their thoughts and more are revealed across 10 episodes, which launches the new season of Te Ao Māori news from January 31.

Coming up on TE NGĀKAU TAPATAHI:

MONDAY 17 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Sports Heroes – Sir Buck Shelford (Rugby); Dame Ruia Morrison (Tennis)

TUESDAY 18 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Songbirds – Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Hinewehi Mohi

WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Governors General – Dame Cindy Kiro, Sir Jerry Mateparae

THURSDAY 20 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM; Educators – Sir Pou Temara, Sir Toby Curtis

FRIDAY 21 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: The Durie brothers – Sir Mason Durie, Sir Eddie Durie

MONDAY 24 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Ngāi Tahu Leader – Sir Mark Solomon, Sir Tipene O’Regan.

TUESDAY 25 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Wāhine crusaders – Dame Naida Glavish, Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi

WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Māori Women’s Welfare League leaders – Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts, Dame Areta Koopu

THURSDAY 27 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Law and justice crusaders – Sir Kim Workman,

Sir Joe Williams

FRIDAY 28 JANUARY AT 12.00 PM: Visionary – Sir Ian Taylor

© Scoop Media