Michael Wi

Footage of rugby league training, haka practice, game planning, changing room preparations, and actual game footage of all three matches between the Deaf Kiwis and Australian teams, and even a visit to the hospital for an injured Kiwi player!

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.

This segment from Māori TV’s Te Hēteri focuses on the experiences of Māori Deaf, catching up with Patrick Thompson, Whiti Ronaki, and Hemi Hema.

A homemade Sydney documentary on the Australian Deaf Rugby league team’s tour of New Zealand in 1990 from preparation, the tour, the tests, and triumphant return home.

In NZSL with subtitles in Māori and English; created in collaboration with native speakers of NZSL, Māori & English, and sign language linguists from the Deaf community, with the purpose to create a NZSL translation that was true to the meaning behind the Māori & English lyrics.

As a warm-up in preparation for their upcoming game vs the Australian Deaf rugby league team, the Deaf Kiwis play against the NSW Deaf rugby league team on 4 June 1988. The game was won by NSW, 18–8.

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.

The opening of the Advance Centre, a tertiary support centre for Deaf and hearing impaired students in the Auckland region, attended by Hon Ruth Dyson, Minister for Disability Issues, and Patrick Thompson - Māori Deaf leader.

Māori Deaf participating in a hīkoi (protest march) in support of Māori claims of ownership of the New Zealand foreshore and seabed.

Historic first rugby league game between New Zealand and Australia, which took place in Sydney 1988 (Henson Park, Newton). Australia won 16–6.

Weekend celebrations are kickstarted with a Māori Deaf kapa haka group to perform a haka powhiri. Vintage teachers such as Les Bury briefly summarise their experiences of working in Deaf education over the years.

The popular athletics interclub and open championship ran to a tight program, from 8:00am to 12:00 noon. The Oxspring Shield for interclub athletics went to Auckland with 32 points. The 32nd Annual NZ Games for the Deaf in Christchurch provided valuable experience for hosting the World Deaf Games to be held in Christchurch in January 1989. At Cowles Stadium, Shona McGhie and Tony Walton are also interviewed by News Review.

The Wellington Deaf rugby league team host their Auckland rivals in Lower Hutt. The match was closely fought!

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.

The deciding match of the 1998 National Deaf Rugby Interzonal Championship played in Wellington over Easter weekend, and cementing a place in the New Zealand Deaf team that toured Wales in November 1998.

Footage and interviews from the final Friday night at Deaf Club at Auckland Deaf Society before its long-awaited re-development in 2006.

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.

An acknowledgement to all the team who helped make the Ko Wai Au? Who Am I? See My Voice? exhibition possible. Ko Wai Au is an exhibition empowering Māori rangatahi who identify as Deaf to communicate with others leading to a wider understanding of aspirations as young Deaf Māori.

Wānanga held in 2001, involving both Deaf and hearing Māori, focusing on NZSL skills, learning about community and culture as well as socialising and having fun.

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.