Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 8, 1 August 1986 — Maori Trade,Commerce May Result from Expo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Maori Trade,Commerce May Result from Expo

Organizers Hail Successful Honolulu Exhibition

The recent New Zealand Trade and Culture Expo was "more than we could have hoped for", accordingto Howard Morrison, one of Expo's chief organizers. The three-day celebration of Maoridom was held at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel from June 29 through July 1.

lt began with formal ceremonies of greeting and weleome just after dawn opening day at the hotel's Diamond Head lawn. Chants and speeches were exchanged among leaders of the Hawaiian and Maori delegations. Dances of both nations were performed by highly aecomplished artists from New Zealand and Hawaii. Clergy of both nations offered prayers and Maori leaders were presented a Hawaiian digging implement or o'o, carved from koa wood as well as a Hawaiian eanoe paddle. The ceremony followed traditional practice in whieh blessings are given to purify the spirit of the plaee and the individuals involved. The mana of the Hawaiian hosts was temporarily turned over to the Maori visitors permitting the Expo to take plaee. At the conclusion of the event a "karakia" or prayer service restored the mana to the hosts of the land. Expo itself featured Maori arts and crafts such as carvings, paintings and pottery, sheepskin products and New Zealand foods. One of the highlights of the event was an entertainment and food spectacular billed as "See, Hear and Taste New Zealand". The menu included the finest of New Zealand food products including oysters on the half shell, spring lamb, venison, beef, scallops, mussels and other seafood delicacies. New Zealand beer and a number of different New Zealand wines were served. The main entertainment was provided by Howard Morrison and his troupe. Morrison is considered New Zealand's top performer and his program of both eontemporary and traditional Maori material held the audienee spellbound. Guest performers included Danny Kaleikini and Marlene Sai. A few days after the exhibition closed, Ka Wai Ola interviewed Morrison who represents the Department of Maori Affairs, a co-sponsor of Expo. Morrison said the major goal of the event was to test the market for Maori products and tourism and to share a bit of Maori tradition and culture with the people of Hawaii. Expo's etforts were aimed at three specific targets, according to Morrison. The first was to establish a market for agricultural and horticultural products distributed through Maori outlets. Morrison says the Maori farmer is the second biggest exporter of such products in New Zealand.

According to Morrison the concept was very well received and discussions are underway with Sheraton Hotels as well as with the Times and Safeway supermarket chains. The second target is to attract investments to New Zealand from Hawaii and elsewhere. Morrison says there is a great deal of potential in this area and some very strong contacts have been established. The final effort was directed toward attracting visitors to New Zealand, "not just as a tourist destination, but also to promote more vigorously the cultural aspect through the people who live and breathe and practice the Maori traditions." Morrison says he has met with officials of Bishop Museum and is in the process of developing "cultural adventure tours" whieh will take visitors to some of the old Maori historical sites and archeological excavations. Morrison said the Expo was extremely successful, that it achieved "more than we could have hoped for" and that Maori trade and business representatives are eager to follow up on the opportunities and initiatives generated by the Expo. The day following Expo, a precedent setting meeting was held at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs involving OHA representatives, the Secretary of the Department of Maori Affairs, a high level Maori Eeonomie Commis-

sion team and Hawaiian businessmen. The meeting was chaired by OHA Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III. The exciting culmination was that Kenneth Brown, president of Mauna Lani Resorts Incorporated, subsequently drafted a recommendation aimed at the establishment of trade and commerce between the Maori people and Hawaii. Brown pointed out that there is a strong, new initiative in New Zealand to upgrade the condition of the Maori people to a level more equal to other New Zea!anders in education, job skills, eeonomie well being, health and social conditions. Part of the eeonomie initiative concerns an effort to involve Maoris in the export of a variety of New Zealand produced goods. Brown's proposal calls for the Department of Maori Affairs to develop a "menu" of items available for export. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs initially would eoordinate a state-wide program to market the "menu" in various areas of the world. Among the benefits of such a program for Hawaiian entrepreneurs would be the creation of business opportunities for Hawaiians as distributors, sales agents, financial backers and in travel, warehousing, etc. Brown and others expressed a hope that a formal "memorandum of understanding" will be adopted to implement the trade initiative. (More photos, page 3)

Hawaiian and Maori leaders meet with government and private sector representatives to discuss a proposed Ha-waiian-Maori trade initiative. This photo was taken following the meeting and pictures from Ieft to right, Kenneth F. Brown, Honolulu businessman and president of Mauna Lani Resort ine.; State Sen. James Aki; Maori entertainer Howard Morrison; Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III; and Tamati Reedy, secretary of the Department of Maori Affairs.