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One of the judges of Massey’s University’s Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Journalism and Broadcasting Awards says there was unanimous approval of the winner of the lifetime achievement award as soon as his name came up.
Te Tohu a Tanara Whairiri Kitawhiti Ngata went to the late Huirangi Waikerepuru, the founding chair of Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i te Reo Māori, the Wellington Māori Language Board, who led language, broadcasting and spectrum claims.
Hineani Melbourne says the Taranaki educator, who died in April, was a driving force in the creation of Māori media platforms in both English and te reo Māori.
"We'd all been moaning about it for years but it was this little man, relatively, he wasn't a big man physically but his wairua was huge and he was so articulate in English and Māori and so supportive of us who struggled to learn Māori and then got lazy and after a course with him were brilliant and six months later we were horrible and he'd growl us with love so we'd get back on the waka again," she says.
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