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We followed Dame June Jackson, on the day she received her honour,
to find out what she has accomplished to be recognised
with her new title.
She's a Dame, but she does the same things as you and I.
She's no ordinary woman,
she is the longest standing nominee on the Parole Board,
a position that she says opened her mind
to the pressures Maori face today.
She set up the Manukau Urban Authority
and was also instrumental in fighting for an equal share
in the fisheries quota for urban Maori,
a case she took to the Privy Council.
She is the embodiment of the saying
'Fight like a shark, not like an octopus.'
As the time neared for the new Dame to be among her friends and family,
she did not show any signs of nervousness.
It was clear to see she is a strong woman as her ancestors were.
She has a new title, but no one can change who she is -
a descendant of Maniapoto and Manukau.
Irena Smith, Te Karere.