Michael Wi

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Footage of all three men's games of the 2000 National Deaf Rugby Championships at the Canterbury Rugby League Stadium, combined into one clip. Includes pre-match Deaf cheerleading display.

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.

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.

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.