Rnz: Te Ahi Kaa

On May 15 Erana Hemmingsen lost her life after a long illness. Late last year Justine Murray visited Erana at her Wainuiomata home where she talked about her love of music, iwi radio and her whakapapa links that go back to Denmark.

There are many facets to kapa haka. It's a platform where traditional Māori arts can interpret the many issues of the day. Justine Murray goes backstage at the Mataatua Regional Kapa Haka Competition to get a sense of how kapa haka has evolved over time.

Horomona Horo is a musician, composer and practitioner of taonga puoro. His mentors were the late Dr Hirini Melbourne, Dr Richard Nunns and carver of instruments Brian Flintoff. He refers to the three men as his papa's. Today, Horomono is a repository of that information. He talks about taonga puoro with Justine Murray, inside Te Whare Tapere Iti at The University of Waikato.

Maakarita Paku talks about the resurgence of Māori birthing practises and Kristal and Hohua Arapere talk about their recent Lotus birth.

Adrienne Whitewood grew up in a house where everyone in her whanau was connected to textiles or fashion. Dad was a button sewer, nan was a seamstress and her grandfather was drycleaner. Now in her twenties, Adrienne has set up her self-titled fashion label, she runs a boutique store in Rotorua, and has garnered recognition and awards for her designs. Te Ahi Kaa visits her at her store.

Maraeroa C Incorporation runs its tourism venture Pā Harakeke, an eco-cultural centre in the middle of Pureora Forest Park. In 2009 with the supports of its shareholders, the trust planted it's first crop of the beneficial perennial plant Ginseng. Justine Murray finds out about the trust's first commercial harvest and products that are in development with CEO Glen Katu and Ginseng Manager, Daniel Benefield.

Kanikani Kids is a small business run by Otaki couple Leigh and Tahi Rau. They make colourful and individually designed kapahaka uniforms for pre-schools. What started out as a business to make ends meet has become their small enterprise.

Jerome Cvitanovich meets Brian Flintoff, a master bone carver who continues his work in the revitilisation of traditional Māori instruments.

The fourth in a Te Ahi Kaa series on Pākehā working and living in te ao Maori. We meet Father David Gledhill SM, a Pakeha priest who has worked among Maori for 50 years.

Alice Patrick is a Pākehā teacher of te reo Māori who is passionate about improving Māori language learning in primary schools.

Rongoa Practioner Rob McGowan talks about the medicinal properties of Tutu.

Rob McGowan is a rongoā (traditional Māori medicine) practitioner. He runs workshops and travels the country, passing on his knowledge of rongoā - acquired over many years. He remembers fondly being taught how to cut flax by Whanganui kuia Rua Henare in the 1970s - at the time, he was a 20-year-old Catholic priest. From his home in Tauranga, he shares his story with Jerome Cvitanovich.

Since his students days at Victoria University in the 1970's, Andrew Robb made a conscious decision to align himself with Māori issues at the time. Māori Language revitilisation was at the forefront. He would go on to surround himself with mentors that would ease his apprehension of being pākeha and moving in a Māori community. Four decades on, Andrew continues to work with Maori, he sits down with Jerome Civitanovich to discuss those early years of his career, and the important advice he learned along the way.

Ngaa Rauuira Puumanawawhiti starred in the documentary film Māori Boy Genius released in 2011. Ngaa graduated with a Diploma from Te Wānanga o Raukawa when he was just 13 years old. In 2009 at just 15 years old he studied for a semester at Yale, an Ivy League University in New Haven, Connecticut. In the film, He described himself as an accelerated learner. Since the film release four years ago, Ngaa is now living in Rotorua with a new job at The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua. Justine Murray talks to Ngaa and his mum Maakarita about the impact of the movie, and life today.

Te Waoriki Hunia and Arama Yancey said it was kind of 'freaky' to meet a person who had actually been in space. The two Murupara area school students are talking about Colonel Rick Searfoss who attended the launch of Pūhoro, the Māori Science Academy lead by Massey University. The eighty students and their families got to hear the inspirational advice by Māori aerospace engineer Mana Vautier who says hard work and never letting go of your dreams is the key to success.

Alexa Cook is at the annual Te Tai Timu Trust Summer camp where the message of safety on the water is promoted to one hundred and thirty five youth from around the country and Justine Murray is at Pukehou Marae with the trust founder, Zack Makoare.

A few highlights from stories featured on Te Ahi Kaa this year.

Jeremy Rose is in Whangarei with Brandon Edwards who successfully purchased Huruiki mountain in 2011, after the land was sold in 1961 due to rates arrears.

Jeremy Rose is in Kaikohe with young budding Māori designers.

Takiri Butler provides an insight into whanau fitness in Tauranga. Kehu Butler hit the surf at five years old, ten years later at age 15, he competes at international level. Tiana Bennett suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis but thanks to a new drug and whanau support she is able to walk up and down her ancestral maunga, Mauao. Khan Butler talks about his role as coach and father to his son Kehu, and Celestial Navigator Jack Thatcher came up with the concept, Hakafit, a kaupapa that got kapahaka performers fit before Te Matatini.