MacIntyre name on Te Matatini trophy rankles Fox

UMA Broadcasting Ltd

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox has joined calls for a change in the name for the top award in Maori performing arts.

Whangara Mai Tawhiti took home the Duncan MacIntyre Trophy from Te Matatini, although as the master of ceremonies Ms Fox misnamed it the Duncan McLean Trophy.

That got her asking who Duncan MacIntyre was.

"He was deputy prime minister and was he the minister of Maori affairs at some point and so donated this trophy as the first trophy for the Polynesian Festival so I think oh yeah, it's got history but still, there are a whole lot of Maori ancestors who fought for our right to stand up and sing our waiata in the way that we want to, surely our top trophy could be in memory of one of them,"Ms Fox says.

Duncan MacIntyre was a former commander of the 28 Maori Battalion and J Force who went on to a long career as National MP for Hastings, Bay of Plenty and East Cape, serving two terms as minister for Maori affairs.

There's also debate in kapa haka circles about the trophy for use of te reo Maori carrying the name of sponsor Mobil Oil New Zealand.

FULL INTERVIEW WITH MARAMA FOX

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