Maori make mark at Indigenous Olympics

Wiremu Sarich (Ngapuhi) from Taipa competes part in the archery contest during the first day of competition at the World Indigenous Games.

Twenty Northlanders are among a team of 50 Maori taking part in the World Indigenous Games in the Brazilian city of Palmas.

Billed as the "Indigenous Olympics", nearly 2000 athletes are taking part from dozens of Brazilian ethnic groups and far-flung countries such as Ethiopia, Mongolia and the Philippines.

Cartryte Hemana-Wickliffe (Ngati Raukawa) of Putaruru was a crowd favourite in the spear throwing event.

The Maori contingent has been demonstrating traditional games such as ki-o-rahi (a full-contact ball game played on a circular field) in the hope it will be included in future games, as well as competing in events such as archery and running.

Earle Karini of Uawa (Tolaga Bay) performs a pukana during the opening ceremony.

Local media reported on an upset in the tug-of-war final in which "New Zealand's fierce Maori warriors lost a battle of the titans against the fridge-sized Bakairi people of central Brazil"; and apparently Cartryte Hemana-Wickliffe of Putaruru was a crowd favourite in the spear-throwing.

The games wrap up on November 2.

Mongolian women take part in an archery demonstration.

Northlanders taking part include nine members of the Kaitaia-based Muriwhenua kapa haka group, high school students from Taipa Area School and Te Rangi Aniwaniwa, Anna Tripp and Wiremu Sarich of Taipa, Maori sports expert Harko Brown and his family from Puketona, and Sheridan Ashby of Whangarei.

The games are organised by Brazil's Indigenous Tribal Council and Ministry of Sport.

Wiremu Sarich from Taipa (wearing the straw hat) shares a laugh with Brazilian competitors

New Zealand's involvement came about when the Ministry, via the Brazilian embassy, made contact with the Far North-based traditional sports club Ki-o-rahi Akotanga Iho.

A native American from the US competes in the archery event.

Photos by Eraldo Peres of the Associated Press