The annual Haka Boogie was held for the second year at Nayland College on Tuesday the 30th October.

The eagerly anticipated event saw around 200 participants entertaining the 500-strong full house in the hall. Almost all of the schools that make up the Stoke cluster attended including Stoke, Enner Glynn, Tahunanui, Birchwood, Nelson Christian Academy and Broadgreen Intermediate. 

The focus of the event was very much on participation and enjoyment, rather than competition. “It’s kapa haka with spirit and no pressure,” organiser and Nayland kaiako Māori Chanel Ngaruhe said. “It’s whakangāhau for entertainment. It’s a chance for our little ones to showcase their stuff at an event for the whole community.”

Te Whānau o Neirana (Nayland’s whānau class) were the hosts, as well as performing a three haka bracket of their own.   According to Whaea Chanel, they excelled in their roles.

“The feedback that we got from the community (...) was they were outstanding. Super helpful, the adults that were involved with clean-up didn’t have to do a thing because our kids would come and say ‘let me do that whaea’, ‘let me do that matua’.”

“Pretty much I organise it but the kids facilitate the event, so we had MCs Taylor Brunning and Ruby Vidgen, ushers or kaitiaki turu (...), we had kaitiaki kura so each kura who was involved had their own personal assistant to take them to their classroom to get changed, any questions, things like that. Our kids shone,” she said.

Year 9 Te Whānau o Neirana members Canon Hedley and Cruzah Ngaronoa got a lot out of being involved. “We were proud of ourselves. It’s cool getting out there and showing the little kids how to do it,” Canon said.

“It was a good experience. I hadn’t done kapa haka for four years. It was good watching other people perform. They were loud as well,” Cruzah added.

The appreciative crowd was offered a further treat during the shared kai afterwards when the Nelson Māori Culture Council, who also put on a free sausage sizzle, performed a bracket of their own. 

“Just like on the marae,” Whaea Chanel said.