A quote from a Te Kāea story on Standing Rock has landed among New Zealand's ten most memorable quotes of the year. The story was reported on a haka performed at the North Dakota pipeline protest and in an interview with Kereama Te Ua.
Judges of the Massey University Quote of the Year said Te Ua's words had the biggest emotional impact of all entries.
Dr Heather Kavan who is the competition’s organiser and co-judge says, “Here's a man 13,000 kilometres from home, who gets a sudden impulse to drop to his knee and do the haka in solidarity with the Sioux people who are resisting the North Dakota pipeline.
Other quotes are clever, but they're often armchair quotes or safe quotes that most people are likely to agree with. In contrast, Mr Te Ua is in freezing temperatures risking rubber bullets, arrest, and pepper spray.”
2016 Quote of the Year finalists, in the order voted for by the public:
1."Sex just can't be that good." – Green MP Denise Roche when asked about Brian Tamaki’s statements that homosexuality causes earthquakes.
2.“In the beginning I really admired Colin. It was only as time went on that I realised he was a douche bag.” – Rachel MacGregor testifying at Colin Craig’s defamation trial.
3."I do name a lot of my animals as an insurance policy, because if you name a chicken Meryl Streep, in all fairness you can't eat Meryl Streep." – Sam Neill explaining his animals’ names on The Graham Norton Show.
4."You can tell that she’s a negotiator. I’ve never won an argument with her in my life." – Dylan Kelly describing his mother, the late Union leader Helen Kelly.
5."You're a clever cow to skip and dance while the land beneath you is disappearing down the hill." – Farmer Derrick Milton after helping to rescue three cows stranded by the Kaikoura earthquake.
6."All I can say is that I gave it everything I had. I left nothing in the tank." – Prime Minister John Key announcing his sudden resignation.
7.“If Americans were given a choice, they would have a gun on their flag.” – Comedian Matt Stellingwerf at the Billy T. James 2016 Stand up Comedy Awards.
8."I may be short, Mr Brownlee, but at least I could sing." – Ray Columbus’ response to Gerry Brownlee’s criticism of him, to be printed after Columbus’s death, quoted by Vicki Anderson.
9.“You want a nose job? Well I'm going to give you one.” – Bella Henry before fighting Naz Khanjani from The Bachelor in the ring.
10.“A haka would have provoked them, they wouldn't understand what it means, and these guys are looking at any reason to take a shot at us.” – Kereama Te Ua after delivering a stirring haka during protests against the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock.