As they prepare to host this year’s Mānawatia a Matariki broadcast, friends Stacey Morrison and Mātai Smith reflect on how far we’ve come and still have to go. Stacey Morrison knows her children are growing up in a very different New Zealand to the one in which she grew up in the 1970s and 80s - but she is far too modest to tell them of the role she has played in helping make that change. Through her relentless advocacy via her media omnipresence and massive publishing empire , built with husband Scotty, Morrison has ensured the Māori language and culture have been steadily returned to the mainstream.
The couple’s three children are now aged between 11 and 17. Their youngest, Maiana, accompanied her mum and godfather Mātai Smith to the photoshoot for this article. She has already begun to follow in her famous parents’ footsteps, appearing on television and recently being cast in a yet-to-be-announced role in a major production.
Maiana is confident, sporty and - like her parents and two older siblings - switches comfortably between English and te reo Māori. Stacey has few concerns about the future for her daughter. “When you see your kids and the next generation, they’re all good.
I just think they’re really interesting people, who have a level of comfort about who they are as New Zealanders and what Aotearoa can be for all of us. Maybe our generation is doing our therapy together or something - I really think that the kids are going to be okay.” But,.
