‘Governor’ Maoris sent packing

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 11, 24 November 1977, Page 2

‘Governor’ Maoris sent packing

Maori talent used during the making of the TV series “The Governor” has been discarded by the television and film industries, says film producer Eruera Nia. “In ‘The Governor’, the Maori personalities were simply used. None of them were permanently employed in television or film,’’ says Mr Nia who worked on the series himself. “So many creative people were brought into the production, for example, many Maori actors. Many of them have great potential as some of New Zealand’s best film actors . . . but at the end of the series they were ejected

from the industry,” he says. Mr Nia adds that with more Maori involvement television and film could move into more areas where Europeans are not competely sensitive. He would like to see 10 per cent of all broadcasting staff positions assured for Maori appliants. “That should be policy, a mandatory rule, just to be fair on a population basis. “Ninety-nine per cent of what’s on television is pakeha. The editorial, policy, money, artistic and technical controls lie in the hands of pakehas,’’ concludes Mr Nia.