Story: Ngā hāhi – Māori and Christian denominations

Hēmi Pōtatau (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) was born at Nūhaka, in northern Hawke's Bay, and became a Presbyterian minister in 1931. In 1970, at the age of 66, he began university studies and was an active and much-loved member of Victoria University's Te Reo Maori Society. He is seen here in 1978 discussing with children from Wellington's Mt Cook School a petition to set up a Māori television production unit, a campaign that was ultimately successful.