M¯aori women should speak up
‘‘The paepae is the most boring place to get up and speak.’’
In a year when many Ma¯ ori women broadcasters were finalists at the Huawei Mate20 New Zealand Television Awards last week, some are asking whether women should be able to speak on the marae.
Pioneer broadcaster and former Te Karere stalwart Tini Molyneux, the recipient of the Legends Award, says she would not advocate a change to customs because the women from her home in Tu¯ hoe are strong and influential.
‘‘Even though the men get up and talk, whatever comes out of their mouths is directed by women. If they don’t get it right then a lot of women will turn their backs on them, which means you’re talking a lot of crap and you need to sit down and shut up.
‘‘Why would women want to get up on the paepae [orator’s bench]? It’s the most boring place to get up and speak,’’ Molyneux says.
The Ma¯ ori women nominated for awards were acknowledged for their storytelling skills and their ability to communicate to a mass audience.
But if they were to return to their ancestral homes, Ma¯ ori customs would stop them from speaking on the paepae on their marae during official po¯ whiri (welcome), as this role is traditionally held by men.
Ngahuia Wade, a former political journalist and a finalist for her work on Waka Huia, shares Molyneux’s sentiment and has no desire to sit on the paepae.
But she supports women, who are good enough, to have the right to speak.
‘‘I’ve often been in situations when a young koretake [useless] speaker will get up over a
70-year-old very opinionated political woman.
‘‘That sucks. I would support a change on the calibre, the intellect and the respect of a woman.’’
TVNZ’s Miriama Kamo, nominated for best news and current affairs presenter for Marae, says as a Ma¯ ori woman, she embraces and accepts her culture’s customs and traditions.
‘‘But as a journalist I think it’s an interesting discussion, especially when some paepae struggle to stay well represented. Maybe the question will gain currency over time.’’
Maramena Roderick, who’s nominated for her work as the former head of news and current affairs at Ma¯ ori Television, says she’d rather see women take key roles in the area of governance.
‘‘The paepae is the realm of oratory but real decisions are made elsewhere, on boards and committees, not outside where words can be blown to thunder. Make no mistake, there are fierce women movers and shakers at their marae, they just don’t need to be seen. That influence is far more lasting.’’
Annabelle Lee-Mather, who is Tini Molyneux, left
a multiple nominee for producing The Hui and a documentary on the New Zealand Wars, says she doesn’t have any desire to speak on the paepae but supports any Ma¯ ori woman who does.
‘‘This discussion needs to be led by Ma¯ ori women and not Pa¯ keha¯ who have a misconception that our tikanga are oppressive to women or disgruntled Pa¯ keha¯ politicians who don’t like sitting in the second row of a po¯ whiri.’’
Waikato University professor of reo and tikanga, Pou Temara, encourages discussion.
But he says the Ma¯ ori women broadcasters who are finalists at the TV Awards may not necessarily be the best speakers on their marae.
‘‘It’s a forum of skill. People who are good at whaiko¯ rero [speaking] might not be good at doing Tini’s job.
‘‘Equally the expertise of Tini lies in another area of communication and not in the stylised form of communication within our Ma¯ ori culture. ‘‘
He says debating the change in Ma¯ ori customs is ‘‘an effect of colonisation’’.
‘‘It wasn’t a problem for our tı¯puna [ancestors] but it’s now become a problem. Our culture was based on tikanga [traditional practices] and things that were tika [correct].’’