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National | Entertainment

Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei still buzzing from Oprah Winfrey's visit

As the masses prepare to spend an evening with Oprah at her one-off show at Vector Arena tonight, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei are still buzzing about welcoming the queen of talk shows, Oprah Winfrey onto their marae yesterday.

Taiaha Hawke (Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei) says, “We've had many high profile people come through Ōrakei Marae. It's important for us, as Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei, to welcome them on whoever they may be.

But this particular lady who has inspired so many women throughout the world, I don't think there has been a welcoming as special as this for our women,” said Hawke.

It was also an experience the American megastar will remember fondly. Winfrey says, “I believe in the tradition of my people. What I know when you lose tradition and ritual you lose yourself, so it's pleasing and such an honour to see the traditions been carried on in such a way to the next generation, so they don't forget who they are.”

Just like Winfrey's on-screen presence, she also inspired her captive audience at Ōrakei.

“I think she's all about planting the seed and think she did a good job of that today with our rangatahi, even though they probably don't know her as much as we do, but they were still excited to see her and she obviously still touches generations upon generations,” added Hawke.