Ngāti Pōneke is one of the oldest rōpū in the country.
With Te Matatini celebrating 50 years of the competition, Ngāti Pōneke leaders Bill and Donas Nathan say Ngāti Pōneke's aim is still the same, providing a space for Māori in Wellington to learn and strengthen knowledge of Māori performing arts.
The group was established in 1937 as a way to reconnect the young people who had made Wellington home. Bill Nathan recalls the teachings of Kingi Tahiwi and says it was a great kaupapa to be a part of in the early days.
“There was no support from the government for homelessness or unemployment and Kingi Tahiwi was keen on bringing these young people together to teach them about their culture because they became dislocated from their own area,” he said.
Ngāti Pōneke was one of 16 groups who performed at the first competition in 1972, an experience that Bill Nathan remembers well
“The club did extremely well and became runners up to Waihirere and so that was a great occasion and it was well worth the effort and great excitement to come in second place,” he said.
Kapa haka has taken them all over the world, showcasing the culture and traditional knowledge and Donas says the appetite for the culture overseas is huge.
“People overseas say they love Māori dancers, Māori culture and knowledge.”
Whilst they admire the development of haka over the years, they say that maintaining core values is important.
“So we keep our traditions, which are so important, but we also allow our young people to express their creativity in terms of now what we hear now on radio and TV - it's marvellous.”
They are excited for what the future holds for haka but for now they’re focused on another milestone this May when Ngāti Pōneke Kapa Haka celebrates its 85th birthday.
