Ngā Hāhi o Te Whakarewarewa

I started at Whakarewarewa Primary School in 1985, where I was taught hīmine by our Religious Study Teachers. Every Fortnight Father Tim would spend an hour with us, who are baptised Catholic, and the other tauira would go to the Anglican Pastors, who conducted a service as well.  Eighty Percent of our tauira at that time belonged to the Anglican faith, and then there was approximately 30 or so tauira who were Catholic

In our village we have two churches, an Anglican and a Catholic and it was decided by our chief Mita Taupopoki which church you would belong to. He gathered our people in front of Wāhiao and divided them into two groups, and that determined what religion you followed from that day forward. Demographically, our churches are located in two different directions, the Catholic church being on top of the hill, and our Anglican church is at the very bottom of our village.

One of the very first Māori songs I ever recall learning was “Te Aroha” which was taught to us by Father Tim, and became one of our school songs, that was performed during school practices and when we participated in sport exchanges.

Te aroha

Te whakapono

Me te rangimarie

Tatou tatou

REFERENCE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uefJdSCkzPo)

We would perform this song after our kaikōrero as our waiata kīnaki, which would often get an applause from our visiting school. Te Reo Māori and our Culture was only being brought back into the curriculum, so we were deemed “more Māori” then others, but really we were only just learning ourselves. These moments gave us a sense of pride, and belonging when performing, and listening to another school who was singing in English.

I am grateful to our religious study teachers for making a conscious effort to bring back what was lost in our schools for many decades. Even though they were English men, they were accepted and recognised in our community, as the leaders of both churches in our village. I acknowledge the source of what ignited my soul for this passion and love for haka.  These are the key learning moments that have instilled in me morals and values that have guided me throughout my journey in Te Ao Haka.

Our Priest will always have a special place in my heart, for giving us these moments in our lives that will stay with us forever. These moments have helped shape who we are as a part of our community and more specifically, our village.

Pouako Tuatahi

 My first kapa haka Tutor was Beatrice Yates, who was affectionately known as Aunty Bea, to all the tamariki in Rotorua. She was of Te Arawa, Tainui and of Indian descent. Her schooling consisted of Rotokawa Primary and Rotorua Girls High School. She then went on to training college in Auckland, and returned to Rotorua, where she began teaching for over 50 years. She was an Entertainer and well known for her Tina Turner act, which she performed all over the country. She was an advocate for the Māori Language, and taught Te Reo Māori, and kapa haka at our local schools.

I recall the very first song she taught us “One day a Taniwha” which she wrote and put into book form, which was the first Māori reader book published in 1983. Her vision for this song was to reach all communities wanting to learn and engage with Te Reo Māori. As an educator and a strong advocate for equity for all children, she hoped that this would be the beginning of a new partnership with other ethnicities. 

REFERENCE (https://youtu.be/zsYlZkevrKA)

Aunty Bea prepared us each year for the biggest cultural event, held at the Civic Theatre for all the Primary Schools. This was initiated and implemented by a group of school teachers under her leadership, and this was to be held every November, over a week, hosting 6 schools each night. She would host each night, and play guitar for lots of schools, and I remember going to watch my cousin's school, and she was playing guitar for them too. At that point I realised she was teaching kapa haka to many schools in Rotorua, and everyone adored her as much as we did.

She provided us with other performing opportunities which included going to the Sheraton Hotel which was something I aspired to do when I became of age, to do concerts. She took us to Te Puia to do shows, another place I was destined to work at, and also to the Tarawera Resort, which was only for the Rich and Famous. We would practise and dedicate every waking moment to be the best we could, not because we cared so much about what other people thought, but that she instilled in us, our worth and our love of our culture, which I am grateful for. But most of all, she had a big heart which I admired, and taught me at a young age one of life's most valuable lessons - the importance of giving our time to serve our people, without expecting anything in return. These values, I hold close to my heart in honour of her.

Te Kapa Haka o Te Kura o Hoani Paori

 I attended a Catholic High School, so Kapa Haka wasn’t really at the forefront of priorities for them, as it was for me at this stage in my life. I was part of Tūhourangi by now, so it was becoming apparent that this would be my pathway in life, therefore I wanted more. We had no tutors, so I asked my Uncle Ngairo, Uncle Chad and Aunty Turu if they would give of their time for us, which they kindly agreed.

They all had many years of performing experience, and shared talents. Chad specialised in Rakau, Ngairo was a musician and composer, and Turu could sing, and teach singing, so we had a great tutorship team, and they made it work. They brought with them talents that we were fortunate enough to learn from, and their approach to teaching was fun and engaging. 

Being at a Catholic School, karakia was part of our daily rituals at the beginning and end of each day, which continued as part of our practice as well. I recall vividly being given instructions by our tutors, to get into porohita and hold hands, we were baffled, and giggly. We had no understanding of karakia this way and how the energy shared between people is powerful. This was new learning for us as Māori students in an auraki setting.

Under their tutorship I witnessed many things that I admired about their leadership, one of which was their ability to compose a song to be taught the very next day. Their passion and commitment to their role was evident in the way they conducted themselves, by being punctual to practices and ready to teach a complete item, actions and choreography included. This taught me that integrity is everything in this space, that is how respect is earned from your kaihaka, and knowing that items were ready, gave us an incentive to give back the same respect by being on time, and ready to learn. 

Their values outlined at the beginning was to trust each other, remain focussed on our WHY so our purpose is clear, and to believe in ourselves, our bracket, our tutors and all those people behind the scenes that make things like this possible. These three values kept our group strong, together and unstoppable. We may not have won our competition but we definitely won as whānau which seemed more valuable to us tauira, than anything. Winning is only a bonus!

Te Kapa o Tūhourangi - Ngāti Wāhiao

 At 13 years old, we finally got to be official members of Tūhourangi - Ngāti Wāhiao Kapa Haka. Our tutors at that time were my grandmother and cousin, Ngāmoni and Tūhoe Huata, a mother and son duo, who shared a common vision for TNW moving forward to the 91’ Regional Competition, hoping to qualify for Ngaruawahia Nationals in 92’. Ngāmoni had a wealth of tutoring experiences, and Tūhoe was a trainee Carver at NZMACI (Te Puia), a performer in the Hotels, up until he went abroad to work.

Their style of teaching and learning was a game changer for our people. We were taught toroparawae, patu and poi movements and their names. These were the fundamentals that they set in place for us to progress as performers, and as a kapa. Their skill set would develop our style of performance, to enhance and bring flair to each item. Although these things may not be exlusive to TNW, it was about growing performance capability which aligned to our mission statement.

Their leadership style shifted the mindsets of people who had been around for many years, which was no easy feat, however they commanded the floor with their knowledge and skills, when presenting the items to the group. Physical visitations to places of interest in our compositions was something they foresaw, and knew the benefits this would bring to the item, to connect with the land or places, to gain deeper understanding of the situation.

Working collaboratively with a select few to draw from the expertise of those people and sharing of ideas, was yet another gem they established for better outcomes. Providing opportunities for other aspiring tutors and leaders to explore and create under their guidance and support was empowering and reassuring. Building leadership capacity for the future of our kapa, was something they instilled in so many of us, who looked up to them, and how they both conducted themselves.

Learning at a young age from members of my own family, I took for granted, and expected that they would be there forever, but they too had other plans to develop and experience themselves. TNW can be grateful for their contribution to the development and growth of the roopu, and for giving us a solid foundation that would continue and carry us through to this day. From their leadership, we continue with what they set in place for us, by working with a creative team to maintain these practices, to grow and inspire our rangatahi.

Maiora

 At 18 years old, I worked part-time for Te Puia doing “Pa Activities” and performing in the shows. We presented two types of shows, a contemporary show during the day, and an authentic show at night called “Maiora”. Our duties during the day included interacting with tourists teaching them past time games, ie: tititōrea, tīrakau, spin top, poi and haka, stilts, and other activities. At night, we would change into traditional costumes, and re-enact a fortified living village, which included working the māra, taonga puoro displays, interactive weaving session, and simply playing the role of a villager.

Performing on this stage was nothing new, as I had been under other leadership in this space, however we were working for Te Puia who had employed people to supervise our pool of workers, and to keep us upskilled. The learning that took place to be effective in this space was astounding, and of the highest calibre. 

Howard Morrison Jnr was responsible for producing a programme that was energetic, vibrant and solid. He was all of that and more, and would turn everything to gold. His talent in performing arts was next to none, and his knowledge of musical arrangements was exactly what we needed as a young performing group. He taught us that anything was possible, to push boundaries, challenge ourselves, and most of all to believe in what we are doing. He helped in every way to ensure we were tracking towards our goals of learning something new to add to our stage performance.  

His leadership style was transformational, by constantly giving us feedback to improve the outcome. He motivated and inspired us, through remaining positive, and allowing us the opportunity to collaborate with each other to form this magnificent show we were about to deliver on a daily basis. He made this all come together at a beyond professional level, and we were absolutely proud to have some ownership of this program.

The greatest lesson learnt for me was to listen and find value in other people's ideas and contributions, so that we continue to grow and learn from one another. Also, ensuring that the lines of communication are transparent for healthier working relationships which matter when you are performing each day side by side. These are powerful tools to have as a performer, the ability to listen, and be an active listener, and becoming a lifelong learner in this realm.

Te Amokura Concert Group

My first tour away was with Te Amokura Concert Group from Te Puia and the Sheraton Hotel. This group delivered lunch time shows at Te Puia and night shows at the Sheraton Hotel on a daily basis. The group was led by Gus and Leah Ratana, who held both contracts for many years. 

As part of their contract with Te Puia, they were given many opportunities to take their group overseas, to represent New Zealand at Expos around the world. My first tour for Te Amokura was to Japan for two months working at a Ski Resort in Kurumayama, South of Tokyo, in Chino City. I was 15 years old at the time, and the youngest performer on tour, therefore I had everything to prove. 

Leah and Gus were amazing managers who worked tirelessly, and gave generously to their employees on the daily. In return, all they asked was for our loyalty and commitment to our permanent rostered days, so if we required the day off, we had to find our own replacement. I learnt really quickly how to conduct myself in these spaces, as these ladies had been on the stage for more than twenty years, so they weren’t there to babysit us young performers, in fact we respected them for their guidance and encouragement on the stage.

Performing alongside these older ladies was a struggle at times, that I felt I couldn’t breathe around them without being told off. There was definitely a them, and then there was us. It was very rare that we had two young performers on at one time, so I was constantly battling with myself, and conscious of everything I did. I eventually grew thick skin, toughened up and got on with the job. I never thought I would end up loving this job, but I did. These ladies taught us a great deal about ourselves, and being a young adult, therefore I am truly grateful to them for protecting our youthfulness and keeping us focussed. 

Performing on a platform of this calibre, and being at the bottom of the food chain, under a hierarchy of performers that had been there for a long time, grew my performance capability, gave me confidence, matured my thinking and actions, made me the best version of myself on that stage. I was driven by failure, so I pushed myself to contribute as equally as everyone else. This set a precedent for myself, that from that day forward, in any performing situation, I would give nothing less than my 100%.

Raukura

 In 2009 I became the Female tutor for Raukura, after being at Rotorua Girls High for only one year. I was asked by Talei Morrison, who was the tutor at that time, if I would consider taking over from her. I was apprehensive purely because I couldn’t see how my whare haka would merge with another, and since Raukura already had established a style of their own, influenced heavily by Te Matarae, I couldn’t fathom how this could be possible, but I took the plunge, and 13 years later, I’m still here.

I’ve seen huge shifts over the years in the way we operate as a tutorship team, for the benefit of the group, the program, and for those who contribute to a successful campaign. In my earlier days of tutorship, it was as simple as splitting the items into areas of responsibility to which we would take full ownership of our respective disciplines, and produce the item from singing, to actions and choreography, that looked best when performing the item, or that was appropriate for that specific discipline. This was the approach that was already in place when I took over the tutorship of the girls, therefore the beginning years with our group was my time to find my feet, and to contribute to the legacy of Raukura.. This means the lines of communication need to remain clear and transparent, to ensure that we remain pono to each other. 

My goal over the next two campaigns was to build relationships with the students, their families, and our brother school (Rotorua Boys High School). I was inspired by leaders in our community, who were tutoring their own teams at that time. However, my  biggest inspiration came from my own family who are experts in their specific areas across Te Ao Haka. They are the people who keep me grounded, give me advice when I need it, and who keep me humble at the same time, which is empowering to know that the people that matter most in this world, believe in your work. 

Establishing myself inside of a structure that already existed meant that I had to create a space for myself to bring forward my influence as a tutor, and to be open minded and receptive to new learnings. Bringing my own whakaaro and experience to this role, gave me the confidence to move forward as an active tutor, who expects the same commitment from everyone involved.

Working under a high trust model is imperative and something we encourage as tutors - honesty over everything!  If a performer can accept critical feedback, and take onboard what someone else recommends, to build their performance capability, shifts begin to happen across this space.