DR M. N. PAEWAI

A Leader with High Ideals And Astonishing Energy by Harry Dansey There are people in New Zealand whose records of service to the community at large and to the Maori race in particular equal that of Dr Manahi Nitama Paewai. There have been people in the past whose service exceeds that which he has up until now given. But of the first, there can be no more than a dozen or so. And of the second, even less—and they are looked at in the light of the accomplishments of lifetimes. For Dr Paewai is just 45, and who can know what he will build in the years to come on the foundations of experience and ideals now so firmly laid? Let's not attempt to analyse until we've examined the record. And what a record ! Would that there were more such ! He is known to many simply as “the Doc”, to others as Nahi—a contraction of his first Christian name—while some members of his family choose to call him Nitama. But whatever name is used, it is with affection and respect.

Born at Dannevirke Nahi Paewai was born at Dannevirke on June 8, 1920, son of Nireaha Paewai, leading member of that very well known and widely respected Maori family. He was educated at Dannevirke High School and at Otago University from which he graduated M.B., Ch.B. While he was at Otago he became widely known as a Rugby player of exceptional talent, tough, courageous, intelligent. Many claim him as being in the first half-dozen half-backs New Zealand has ever produced, a few say he was the best of them all. The record of his representative Rugby career shows also his movements round the country. He represented Otago, New Zealand Universities, the South Island, Auckland, the North Island, Wellington, New Zealand Army and New Zealand Maoris. Later he moved into Rugby administration, serving on the Maori Advisory Board from Nahi Paewai and his wife Hineapa. ‘Northlander’ photo 1945–1956 and on the Northland Rugby Union from 1953 to 1956. He was co-selector for the New Zealand Maori team in 1955 and 1956. Since 1958 he has been a member of the Bay of Islands Rugby Union's judicial committee.

Service With Many Organizations That's sport. Let's turn to community service in the sense of the wider community, the people with whom he lives and works, regardless of race. Interest in health is an obvious one for a man of his profession. Thus we find that he was divisional surgeon of the St John Ambulance Brigade at Kaikohe from 1947 to 1961. The case of the intellectually handicapped child has always been close to his heart, and he is vice-president of the Northland Branch of the Intellectually Handicapped Children Parents' Association and vice-president too of the Kaikohe branch. From 1960 to 1962 he was a member of a Northland special school committee for intellectually handicapped children. Community service more often than not calls for work through statutory organizations, and Dr Paewai has accepted his full share of this. He has been a member of the Kaikohe Borough Council since 1962. His interest in education has led to membership of another local institution, the board of governors of Northland College. He is deeply interested in education at all levels, not only at secondary school. Thus it is not surprising to see that he is a strong supporter of the Kaikohe Free Kindergarten, being its vice-president from 1952 to 1955.