Moana Maniapoto is made Member of NZ Order of Merit

By ALAN PERROTT

Receiving a gong has topped off a pretty cool year for Maori renaissance woman Moana Maniapoto.

Her multi-pronged musical, legal, cultural, political and documentary-making career is peaking.

Last year, a casual response to a mysterious e-mail ended with her beating off 11,000 contenders to claim the grand prize in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition.

But the new Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit admitted to being totally flummoxed when a message to call the Prime Minister's office arrived two weeks ago.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm being hauled off to the head mistress' office'."

The award is destined to join several others received by her family, now hanging on the walls of the Waitetoko Marae, near Turangi.

She ranked the honour up there with the songwriting prize and her career highlight, performing for and meeting Nelson Mandela at a ceremony to acknowledge New Zealand's anti-apartheid protest movement.

"All I have really tried to do is make a difference in terms of Maori reclaiming our self-determination and also encourage Maori and Pakeha to value the culture."

She is now planning her group's third European tour, while enjoying the prizes that came with the songwriting win - cash, home recording studio, and an array of instruments and gadgets.