HomeCollectionRūaumoko Komiti – Turi Māori

Tihei mauri ora! Turi Māori are here! SignDNA is proud to present the Turi Māori collection of historic archival taonga. The majority of the Turi Māori collection was donated by the Rūaumoko Komiti, with invaluable footage of wānanga, hīkoi, and other important kōrero. There are also interviews with the late Patrick Thompson, Ivan Tamepo and Michael Wi. All te reo Māori content has captions added by SignDNA in order to make them more accessible. SignDNA looks forward to increasing our collection of Turi Māori archival taonga, please get in touch with us if you have any you would like to donate. Tēnā koutou.

  • Turi Māori
reset filter
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

Connecting with Māori culture: an interview with Joanne Klaver

Raw footage of an interview with solo mother Joanne Klaver, attempting to connect with a Māori culture she was denied growing up, and one of her two sons, Charles, who is also Deaf.
Rūaumoko Komiti
1995
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Michael Wi, Māori Deaf

Michael Wi, is profiled on ‘Marae’, where he shares his experience of growing up as Māori Deaf in a paheka-centric education environment, and learning as an adult about tikanga Māori, and marae protocols.
Television New Zealand Archive
2002
Object – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Pocket Patch: Māori / Pacific Deaf Rugby Invitational XV

Auckland Deaf Society
NZSL Stories
  • Kevin Pivac
1959
video – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Te Pakanga O Whau – The Battle of Whau: Drama by Kelston School for the Deaf

The Battle of Whau: a drama by Kelston Deaf students for the opening ceremony of Kelston School for the Deaf, 7th November 1959.
Auckland Deaf Society
2014
video – Taonga source: Ministry of Education

Ko Wai Au? Who Am I? See My Voice?

A video with six rangatahi communicating their stories of being young Turi Māori (Māori Deaf). The topics they discuss include recognition and acknowledgement of Deaf people in the past, Dame Whina Cooper and the impact of Kelston Deaf Education Centre.
Ministry of Education
2022
video – Taonga source: Māori Television

Deaf filmmaker aspires to make TV series in sign language

A turi (deaf) filmmaker hopes to create a TV series entirely in NZSL to showcase the language to the world. Jared Flitcroft (Ngāti Maniapoto) enjoys telling stories from all kinds of people and perspectives but says stories from the Māori deaf community are imperative.
Māori Television
2005
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section

Toa Anga Whati Māori

Māori TV's 'Toa Anga Whati Māori' profiles the Deaf Association of New Zealand on its weekly program, interviewing a series of Deaf people in sports (golf, touch rugby, rugby) before touching upon the job of a Deaf Awareness Officer who delivers training throughout New Zealand.
AUT Visual Languages Section
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
1979
video – Taonga source: Sue Penman

Trans-Tasman Deaf Games: Opening Ceremony and sports

Coverage of the Trans-Tasman Deaf Games, Lincoln College, Christchurch, 10 January 1979, including opening ceremony and various sports.
Sue Penman
1991
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Māori Deaf and Deaf education

A look at the cultural education needs of Māori Deaf students. Māori Deaf are likely to experience more barriers in the education sector. Interviews undertaken by ‘Marae’ shows us that the multiple cultural identities of Māori Deaf are not completely accommodated for with aspirations on how to resolve this.
Television New Zealand Archive
1995
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Communicate: September 1995

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NZSL Stories
  • Kevin Pivac
  • Shona McGhie
  • John Mansell
1990s
video – Taonga source: Hilda Tamepo

Deaf kaumatua celebrates 50 years of life at Auckland Deaf Society

The 50th birthday of Ivan Tamepo - a respected Deaf elder – is celebrated at ADS, with a karanga, powhiri, waitaia and celebrations in the back hall and upstairs clubroom.
Hilda Tamepo
2017
video – Taonga source: New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters

Te Tiriti o Waitangi in New Zealand Sign Language

This resource was created for the Treaty Times Thirty project, an initiative by the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters to translate New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti of Waitangi into 30 different languages.
New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters
1959
video – Taonga source: Susan Hamilton

Extended version: Te Pakanga o Whau performs at the opening ceremony of Kelston

The opening of Kelston on a site in Archibald Road featured the infamous ‘Te Pakanga o Whau’ (The Battle of Whau) in 1959 where 86 deaf students acted in an outside play featuring a Māori-Pakeha battle near a big gum tree field.
Susan Hamilton
2000
video – Taonga source: Deaf Aotearoa

Deaf Association of New Zealand 2000

A look at the work of the New Zealand Association of the Deaf, presented by Judy Bailey.
Deaf Aotearoa
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
1959
video – Taonga source: Susan Hamilton

Sports Day at Kelston School for the Deaf

The School for Deaf annual sports day is held at Kelston with athletics, long jumping, relay races and performances.
Susan Hamilton
NZSL Stories
  • Patreena Bryan
1999
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

Deaf Association opens its new Auckland office

The Deaf Association of New Zealand opens its new offices on Great North Road, Avondale, Auckland in November 1999.
Rūaumoko Komiti
NZSL Stories
  • Tony Walton
2022
article – Taonga source: Stuff

Aotearoa’s first Deaf marae celebrates 30 years of empowering Turi Māori

Friday marks 30 years since the opening of the country’s first marae for Deaf and hard of hearing Māori. Since 1992, Rūaumoko Marae, in West Auckland’s Kelston, has been a place where Deaf students can learn about te ao Māori.
Stuff
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

The Māori Deaf world: Interviews with Whiti Ronaki, Stephanie Awheto and Michael Wi

This raw, edited footage consists of interviews with Whiti Ronaki, Michael Wi and Stephanie Awheto - a trilingual interpreter, on topics relevant in the Māori Deaf world.
Rūaumoko Komiti
1996
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Patrick Thompson discusses upcoming wānanga for Māori Deaf

Patrick Thompson is interviewed on the ‘Marae’ programme, a bilingual Māori and English language current affairs show, about setting up a wānanga to enable Māori Deaf to access te reo Maori and Tikanga Maori.
Television New Zealand Archive
2001
article – Taonga source: Unknown

Loud and clear

The deaf community believes it has been misunderstood and misinterpreted for too long. Now it wants to be seen and heard as a group with its own cultural identity.
1996
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Communicate: March 1996

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NZSL Stories
  • Shona McGhie
1997
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

A kōrero with Riwia Fox, Māori NZSL interpreter

Riwia Fox, an interpreter is interviewed about her work as a trilingual interpreter. At that time, Riwia was one of only two qualified NZSL interpreters in New Zealand who are Māori, with the other being Stephanie Awheto.
Television New Zealand Archive
2016
video – Taonga source: Attitude Pictures

The Deaf Toolbox: Making it on the Marae

At some stage in your life you may find yourself on a marae. We’ve put together some helpful tips in NZSL so you’ll feel right at home!
Attitude Pictures
1993
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Communicate: March 1993

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
2016
video – Taonga source: Attitude Pictures

Accessible Marae – The Reply

A short video promoting an accessible marae funded by the Think Differently campaign, featuring Mita Moses.
Attitude Pictures
1991
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Two Deaf children sign a karakia

A karakia, the Lord’s Prayer, is given by two Deaf children using NZSL for the ‘Marae’ television series. This clip also contains Māori captions of the te reo Māori lyrics.
Television New Zealand Archive
1999
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

Mai Time features NZSL!

Mai Time made one of their episodes accessible in NZSL to mark Deaf Awareness Week 1999. KDEC’s sign singing choir and Patrick Thompson made an appearance along with as did Rūaumoko Marae’s kapa haka roopu.
Rūaumoko Komiti
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

A Day in the Life of Rūaumoko Marae

Insight into the preparations that go into a powhiri onto Rūaumoko Marae, and rare footage of the powhiri itself, followed by an interview with Patrick Thompson.
Rūaumoko Komiti
2017
article – Taonga source: Western Leader.

Milestone in deaf education

A multimillion dollar education centre is helping deaf students communicate. More than 400 people attended the opening of the Kelston Deaf Education Centre (KDEC) rebuild on February 28, 2017.
Western Leader.
2002
video – Taonga source: Sara Pivac Alexander

International Postcard: New Zealand

DeafTV from Denmark makes a trip to New Zealand to feature the country and its Deaf community on its ‘International Postcard’ series, with scenes from a normal Friday night at the Deaf Club, a trip to the Deaf Association office. The Deaf Danish crew are also welcomed onto the Rūaumoko Marae.
Sara Pivac Alexander