It has been eight years now since I first published Airini’s biography. It has sold steadily, enough to order more reprints as necessary. I have welcomed the interest locally, nationally and internationally, considering this was mainly through ‘word of mouth’ and no backing of big publication companies and their influence with the major book chains!

 

While Airini’s detractors were few, their rhetoric has been far reaching. I have made it my mission to research all the different critics and have found very interesting facts. She was accused of using bribery in land issues. The only fact I could find concerning this was during a land meeting at Waimarama when Gertrude Meinertzhagan loudly and publicly accused Airini after she had provided substantial refreshments for those attending.  This outcry was reported in the local newspaper of the time. Was it bribery or the common Maori hospitality of which she was so well known for? There was and still is much discussion around the ‘second will’ of Renata Kawepo. This will was witnessed by two others who had no benefit in doing so and to my knowledge neither ever retracted their involvement. She was also known for crossing some of her own whanau in contentious land issues. I do know she did not approve of Maori leasing their land to Europeans preferring they worked their own land. In many cases it proved hard to get a consensus to do this which is most likely why she took advantage of alienation (land transfer).

 

Throughout the years I have got to know many of Airini’s detractors and after they had read this biography many have thanked me. There were times where we have ‘cried and pressed noses’.