by Dio Communications
Arts and Culture News
Dio Communications — May 6, 2024
Over the holidays, Tainui Waka held the annual Kapa Haka Festival, where five roopuu (groups) qualified to represent our iwi at Te Matatini next year in Taranaki. Some of our Kapa Haka students were lucky enough to attend and get a taste of just where Kapa Haka can take you.
The stage was full of mana, and the energy in the room buzzed with excitement. Whaanau eagerly waited for their loved ones to take their stand. The two-day event was a special way for us, Maaori and non-Maaori, to come together and celebrate the love of kapa haka.
Each year, the Kaitaataki Waahine chooses a Whakataukii to lead and learn with throughout the year. This year, I have chosen the saying:
Inaa kei te mohio koe ko wai koe, i anga mai koe i hea, kei te anga atu ki hea
If you know who you are and where you are from, you will know where you are going
I chose this Whakataukii because we must acknowledge our past for the future to come. We wouldn’t be here without our tuupuna, grandparents, parents, teachers, and tutors. We are also all on different learning paths or journeys in life, yet we all share the same love and enjoyment for our troops, which is why I thought this Whakataukii was only fitting. Never be scared to embrace your differences!
Haka mums and dads know how busy our students can get, and this term is no different. Weekly practices, poi-making sessions, noho and waananga, NZ Music Month and Chapel performances, Matariki celebrations, and Ngaa Manu Koorero preparations are all on the lineup, to name a few. To keep updated on these events, we have a Google Classroom for tauira (students) as well as an Instagram page for Whaanau to stay informed: @wdsgkapahaka
Kia Kaha Te Reo Maaori e te Whaanau!
