Pride of NZ Awards: Tihi Puanaki

Tihi Puanaki doesn’t always make choices that the rest of the Maori community approve of – but they’re the right choices for the people who come to her in need. Her kapa haka programme was considered outrageous by some for being inter-tribal and having a woman in charge – but Whaea Tihi taught her critics a lesson by winning repeated Matatini titles. “I come from a family of strong women who prepared me for conflict,” Whaea Tihi said. “Maori society doesn’t handle strong women that well, eh.”