May 15, 2014
Ngati Whatua celebrated
Ngati Whatua leader Joe Hawke has been compared to a rata tree that nurtures the other trees around.
The carpenter turned Bastion Point occupation leader and former Labour MP was given a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Aotearoa Maori Business Awards.
Manuka Henare, the Maori dean of Auckland University’s school of business, says the award organisers were thinking of one of the traditional phrases describing Maori leadership, he rata whakaruruhau.
He says Mr Hawke seemed to exemplify that sort of leadership
" We saw in Joe his nurturing role inside Ngati Whatua O Orakei but also his nurturing of Auckland city and over that time you can think of the occupation of Bastion Point but also the leadership in Ngati Whatua and Joe has particularly given to the whole of Auckland so that Ngati Whatua today in terms of the Auckland council they're seen as co partners in the development of Auckland city " he says.
Manuka Henare says the Maori Businessperson of the Year Award went to world canoeing champion Lisa Carrington, in recognition of that fact that professional sport has become a viable career choice for many young Maori that requires the application of business principles.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH MANUKA HENARE CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTgwNjA=
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