celebrated in mural
Afive-storey mural of te reo advocate Hana Te Hemara will be unveiled in Ngāmotu / New Plymouth this week as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition to parliament in 1972.
Te Hemara (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu) was a founding member of the Māori rights group Ngā Tamatoa which helped collect 30,000 signatures calling for te reo Māori to be taught in schools.
Ngā Tamatoa chose Ngāmotu as the location for the I Am Hana Project which honours Hana Te Hemara who was born at Kaipakopako in nearby Bell Block.
Ramari Jackson-Paniora - Hana's daughter - said as well as commemorating the petition, the towering image on the Puke Ariki building was about telling her mother's story.
Link to article: Te reo advocate Hana Te Hemara celebrated in mural (msn.com)
