MANA WAIROA AWARD RECOGNISED INDIGENOUS STRUGGLE OF HAWAIIAN PEOPLEPress Release: Nuhaka, Wairoa District, Aotearoa New Zealand, TuesdayJune 8th 2010THE WAIROA MAORI FILM FESTIVAL honoured the native people of Hawai'iyesterday with the awarding of a new award category at the event. TheMANA WAIROA AWARD is a new category that recognises films thatcontribute to the advancement of the human rights of indigenouspeoples all around the world. The Award is to tautoko (support) andmotivate the recipient community in its efforts to advance their goalsof realising the potentialities inherent in their values and beliefsystems that spring from their unique whenua (land), moana (sea) andranginui (sky) context on Planet Earth.The inaugural MANA WAIROA AWARD was presented to HAWAII A VOICE FORSOVEREIGNTY by Catherine Bauknight and the Native Hawaiian people. TheAward was presented over LIVE SKYPE VIDEO from the newly anointedDIGITAL MARAE at Kahungunu Marae, Nuhaka.Festival Director Leo Koziol (who is of Rakaipaaka tribal descent) andFestival Chairperson Huia Koziol (who is a Trustee of the marae) spokeby video with Director Catherine Bauknight, and also via live phoneconnection with representatives from the Hawaiian indigenous movementwho are profiled in the film. Also present at this special event --and participating in the SKYPE VIDEO -- were kaumatua and Trustees ofthe marae, guest Maori film makers present at the festival, andmembers of the general public who had just had the privilege ofwatching the New Zealand premiere of the film.One of the goals of "Hawaii A Voice For Sovereignty" by filmmakerCatherine Bauknight and the Native Hawaiian people, is to enlightenthe world of the truth of Hawai'i Nei. It was one year ago June 4th,that the film was released at a private screening at the CapitolBuilding in Washington, DC. On June 21st 2009 it had its publicpremiere at the Maui Film Festival, and was awarded the AudienceAward, Best Hawai'i Film. "Hawaii A Voice For Sovereignty" has alsoscreened at venues in Hawaii, NY City, Canada, Los Angeles, and SantaCruz, CA. These screenings have contributed to achieving theimportant goal of enlightening the world about the truth of Hawai'iNei.The links below and the stories that follow contain some of thesignificant developments since the release of the film.Trailer of Film/Pasadena Cultural Event/Panel Discussionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRJ-WO51xn4KPFK radio interviewhttp://www.ukespot.com/Spokesperson Kiowa Gordonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tEwTtktm_U&feature=relatedHawaii Public Radiohttp://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hpr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4093&Itemid=99999999LA Talk Radiohttp://www.latalkradio.com/images/Grand-051310.mp3The MANA WAIROA AWARD was launched at the fifth annual Wairoa MaoriFilm Festival (website address is www.manawairoa.com) just prior tothe Poroporoaki after which film makers from across the countryreturned home. It is hoped to hold screenings of HAWAII A VOICE FORSOVEREIGNTY at other locations around the country, including Murupara,Auckland, Levin, Masterton and Wellington.Authorised by: Te Roopu Whakaata Maori I Te Wairoa Inc.
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