Rnz: Te Ahi Kaa

Maraea Rakuraku is in discussion with Alice Te Punga Somerville author of Once were Pacific; Māori connections to the Pacific (2012) about the dynamics of Māori enjoy with Pacific and Pasifika.

Continuing to focus on the Māori Pākehā relationship without considering the dynamic between other indigenous peoples does a disservice to Māori according to Indigenous Arts Curator and commentator Ngahiraka Mason.

In the second to last episode of Te Ahi Kaa for 2014, Justine Murray features a few of her favourite stories produced this year, that includes the mass Haka Powhiri to commemorate 150 years since the Battle of Pukehinahina and setting sail on-board the traditional sailing waka, Te Matau a Maui.

Parihaka was a thriving, entrepreneurial and peaceful community, led by  Prophets Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai during the 1870s. That all changed when, on 5th November, 1881 Parihaka was invaded by Government forces. Both Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai were arrested and taken to the South Island, Troops carried out violent acts upon the people, destroyed their homes and crops. Today, according to Parihaka Papakainga Trust Chair Amokura Panoho, there is a small community who live at Parihaka. Positive change is on the horizon, this year the trust received funding from Massey University's Energy Research Centre to conduct research that looks into self-sustainable energy, eventually Parihaka will once again thrive with an infrastructure that meets the people's needs, as Amokura explains.

Dr Terry Ryan, Hemi te Hemi and Harry Westrupp have a shared interest in Māori Trade Training that was established in the 1950s and continued until the early 1980s. Dr Terry Ryan is well versed in Ngai Tahu Whakapapa and discussed how the initiative was set up by Weslayan Church leaders who based the programme on the Te Rahui Wahine Hostels at Tūrangawaewae set by Princess Te Puea in 1949. Harry Westrupp left Omahu and headed to Christchurch to attend Māori Trade Training in the 1970s, today he works with young men keen to take up a skill as part of the new programme, He Toki ki te Rika. Hemi Te Hemi is at the forefront of He Toki ki te Rika, his role is to oversee the stakeholder relationships, they join Justine Murray from the Radio New Zealand Christchurch studio.

Tu Ora, Tu Kaha, Tu Mana, Tu Maori. Be healthy, be strong, be proud, be Maori. This weeks whakatauki is explained by Justine Murray

Maraea Rakuraku meets with members of the Poutu whānau who just may be the Māori version of the story that inspired the the 1998 Steven Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan - but with a much happier ending. All five sons returned safely to Aotearoa and went on to have 100s of descendants. Maraea Rakuraku walks alongside whānau, war veterans of various military campaigns and a contingent of young Māori men representing soldiers of the Pioneer Battalion and hears their experiences of war that still resonates throughout the Tai Rawhiti community as they make their way from Te Poho o Rawiri pā to a purpose built whare, the C Company Memorial House that stands alongside Te Tairawhiti museum, Gisborne.

Moana Callaghan and her whānau travelled from Maraenui to attend the three day commemorations at Te Poho o Rawiri pā, Gisborne as their father Wira Callaghan was a soldier in C Company of the 28th Māori Battalion. Following the powhiri at the pā on the Friday, Maraea Rakuraku joins her on the mahau (porch) of the whare tipuna as she reminisces about her fathers service and his post war life when he returned home.

Club Captain Noble Keelan has a very simple method of controlling the boisterousness that erupts at Tuesday night chess club at the Gisborne Eastern Knights - clapping. Yet, who can blame the members for displays of emotion. It is all business from the time chess club starts at 6.00 pm till it ends at 8.00 pm. For one thing there's the ladder board where the aim is to make it to the number one spot, where the current Chairman Colin Albert sits. Maraea Rakuraku sits in one Tuesday and comes face to face with the enthusiasm, humility, fun and competitiveness that has teenagers ditching X box and Playstations in favour of what some describe is the ultimate board game.

The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows.

In 1999 the native Kokako bird Tamanui was removed from his home in the Moki Forest by Ngāti Tama and the Department of Conservation because of the threat caused by pests, stoats and wildlife. At the time Ngāti Tama pledged that the Kōkako would eventually come home. Even though Tamanui died in 2008, he had 22 offspring. Tiaki te Mauri o Parininihi Project Manager Conrad O'Carroll is tasked with the job of ensuring the Paranihihi forest is safe for the return of his progeny, he explains more about the project. The story of Tamanui is told at an exhibition at Puke Ariki Museum, New Plymouth, Heritage Manager Andrew Moffatt talks about their contribution in sharing Tamanui's story with locals and visitors.

When Marae Nga Hau e Wha o Papararangi Marae in Wellington took in 42 evacuees following the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, they soon realised the marae was not well equipped to cope. So began their work to become earthquake-ready. Nine Marae in the Wellington region have combined their resources and knowledge base to form a Marae Collective. For the past three years they have worked alongside local emergency organisations and the Hutt Valley Council to put their systems and community infrastructure into place. Last weekend they ran an emergency earthquake evacuation test, Justine Murray provides a perspective.

Tamati Waaka says that for many marae across Aotearoa there is always that funny whanau member that can tell a good story, whether it's an uncle or aunty, it's always that person who can tell a hardcase yarn. Tamati is part of Te Reo Wainene o Tua, a group of Māori language storytellers, whose role is to deliver robust stories in te reo māori whilst engaging their audiences of mostly pre-school kids. He explains the purpose of Te Reo Wainene o Tua, and Justine Murray sits in on one of the sessions.

Te Hiahia tuturu ki te tiaki te Mauri o Paraninihi te mahi I mua kia oti ai. Te Rangatiratanga o Paraninihi mo nga iwi o Taranaki. The ultimate goal is to guard the mauri of Paraninihi, to continue the work so Paraninihi can stand as a leader for iwi of Taranaki.

Maraea Rakuraku receives Waka101 tutelage from Kat Lobendahn and Moani Keala Keliikuli Heimuli members of the Mālama Honua Waka Voyaging crew traversing across Te Moananuiakiwa (The Pacific Ocean) bringing attention to the pollution of our seas. It's an opportunity to ask all those pressing questions, like, does it get boring? what is the waka equivalent of cabin fever and just how awkward is it, toileting over the side of the waka?

David Kukutai Jones is a healer, maker of rongoa, librarian and the Chairman of the Māori Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender gathering - Hui Takataapui 2014 which this year was hosted at Te-Papa-o-Rotu Pā, Whatawhata.

With an Anglican Mum and Ringatu Dad where's the middle ground if you're having a religious calling? Maraea Rakuraku catches up with Anglican priest Chris Huriwai who left for Jerusalem via America last week for an exchange with St Georges College.

Haere mai ki ahau, ki Te Papa-O-Rotu ki te au Te Rena, ki te urunga te taka, ki te moenga te whakaarahia. Ahakoa iti taku iti, he rei kei roto. Come to me, to Te Papa-O-Rotu to the unstirred current, to the pillow that falls not and to the undisturbed sleep. Although I am small, I have teeth. This whakatāuki originates from Te-Papa-o-Rotu marae.

Ngāti Pōrou and Rongowhakaata singer Caii-Michelle Baker was plucked from her hometown Tolaga Bay and mentored by the late Prince Tui Teka, she was only 17 years old. Since that time, she's enjoyed a career that has spanned three decades performing around the world, and working with producer and composer Dr Benjamin Wright. Her first single from her new album is a re-working of the Beatles Classic Help, she talks with Justine about working with Dr Wright and the important lessons she's learned along the way.

Māori Art for Kids is the new book released this week by artistic couple Julie Noanoa and Norm Heke. The book is the culmination of six months' of research for Julie, who concluded there was a lack of resources available for children that explained the various types of Māori designs, objects and tāonga pūoro. Photographer and Graphic designer Norm, was responsible for the images in the book. They explain the concept and the accessibility of Māori art.