Reflections of the 2020 ASRA Award Recipient, Piripi Walker

Piripi Walker (right) and Tama Te Huki in the Te Upoko o Te Ika studio on its first day of broadcast in 1987. Image from Alexander Turnbull Library, Reference: EP/1987/2071/8-F

Ahead of his presentation of the 2020 ASRA Award on 9 November, we asked recipient Piripi Walker for his reflections on his work with community, which have led to achievements of national significance.

“Over the years I have been involved with teams within national, local and the establishment of Iwi radio, where the pursuit of high quality voice recordings in the Māori language was a major goal. These collections were preserved by these organisations in older formats, but are now nearly all digitised in major national archives.

I was Secretary, Coordinator and one of the fundraisers for Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i te Reo, (the Wellington Māori Language Board), and its Chair, Huirangi Waikerepuru. This was a claim against successive New Zealand Governments that they had failed to protect, promote and foster the Māori Language.

The Tribunal found in favour of the claim, and the Māori Language Act, making Māori an Official Language, was passed a year later. There followed a further 14 years of continuous litigation against the Government to establish access to frequencies and funding for a national Māori broadcasting system, including a national television channel.”

Piripi will be presented with his award as part of Survival and Revival, the 2021 ASRA Conference. Find out more here.