We were contacted by the organisers of the NZ Golf open, who'd been given our contacts by Te Waihoroi Shortland who chairs NZ Māori Golf. NZ Māori Golf have been pushing NZ Golf to include more Māori culture in their events, especially the NZ Golf Open, especially considering that two of most famous golfer are Māori and both of them have come through NZ Māori Golf, Michael Campbell and Phil Tataurangi. This type of cultural responsibility, especially in Queenstown, is more an issue for the seven Kāi Tahu Rūnaka who share traditional authority over that area.
Here is a Radio New Zealand report on the issues that NZ Golf and NZ Māori Golf have been addressing in the last couple of years: NZ Golf Report
After liaising with all of the rūnaka, they agreed that He Waka Kōtuia could support Justin Tipa, Moeraki; Waiariki Taiapa, Puketeraki and Paulette, Ōtākou to represent them on this occasion. With that decision we headed through to Millbrook on February 26 to support a pōwhiri for NZ Golf.
The gifting of the Korowai:
As part of the relationship between NZ Māori Golf and NZ Golf the winner of the NZ Open is presented with a korowai during the ceremony to crown the winner of the tournament. We were also invited to be part of this ceremony.
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