Ohakune weaver meets American television star

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 22, 30 October 1984, Page 3

Ohakune weaver meets American television star

A chance meeting in Honolulu with Magnum PI star, Roger Moseley, alias T.C., was one of the many highlights of Lisa Mariekura's recent trip to North America which also included visits to Disneyland, Universal Studios and a demonstration of her weaving skills at the Te Maori exhibition in New York. Eighteen year old Lisa from Ohakune was one of forty Maori crafts people and entertainers to appear at the exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They left New Zealand on 5 Septemberand spent three days in Los Angeles before flying to New York. "The reaction to Te Maori by the American people was incredible,"said Miss Mariekura. "They were curious about everything including my weaving and asked many interesting questions about the Maori people in general and Maori women in society, their rolg and place in New Zealand life." "We were able to look around New York during our short stay there. Many of the things we saw were

disturbing and made us stop to think how lucky the Maori people are in New Zealand." Whgn the group was being shown around the city, they saw three negroes being stripped and beaten by the police. The tour guide was quick to point out to his passengers that the incident was probably drug related.

New York, known as the 'Big Apple' is very big and noisy and greatly impressed Miss Mariekura. The group left New York for Salt Lake City where they spent two days looking over the sights which included the impressive. Mormon temple. They didn't see any of the Osmond family though! From there they went to

Alburquerque in New Mexico to visit a Red Indian tribe in Santo Domingo Pueblo, a small reservation set aside for them. This was the part of the whole journey that really disturbed Miss Mariekura. She felt saddened to see how the Indians have been treated in the United States, with their land all but taken by the European settlers and left to eke out a living from the reservation land much of which is unsuitable for farming. "I would like to return to America to talk to more Indians about their life and culture and their battle to regain lost land taken many years before." added Miss Mariekura. The group's next stop was in Hawaii where they met 'T.C.' at a restaurant called 'Fridays'. He was a bit reluctant to be photographed at first but after some friendly persuasion agreed to be snapped outside. They also visited the large Polynesian Cultural Centre featured in the Elvis Presley movie, 'Blue Hawaii' twenty four years ago. Miss Mariekura found the Hawaiian language very similar to Maori, so much so that she was able to talk with local Hawaiians and be understood by them. The cultural group arrived back in New Zealand on 21 September much wiser and with a greater appreciation of their own life in their homeland. Lisa Mariekura in particular shows a great sense of pride when she says that not only is she a Maori but also a New Zealander from a land which was the envy of many people from all over the United States with whom she spoke.

Mary Anne

Gill