Hineteaio Chapman is one of many rangatahi presenting the issues of her people on the national Ngā Manu Kōrero stage this week. She follows in the footsteps of her mother, Te Karere reporter Harata Brown who also competed at a regional level over 20 years ago.
Chapman says she is satisfied with her stand.
“Kua tino tau aku piropiro, kua tino tau taku wairua. Kua harikoa, kua ea ngā mahi.”
(My emotions are settled, my spirit is very settled. I am happy, my job is complete.)
Like her mother before her, Hineteaio is also a student of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa.
Brown proudly sat behind her daughter onstage, as she captivated crowds with her speech at Spark Arena.
“Me taku kōrero pai ake ia i tana māmā, pai ake ia i tana aunty. E mihi ki taku tamahine - koia te whakakitenga o ngā tūmanako nui a te whānau.
(I told her she’s better than her mum and aunty. I must acknowledge my daughter - she is the embodiment of our whānau’s greatest hopes.)
The Year-10 student made her Ngā Manu Kōrero debut - regional and national - in 2023. She placed fourth overall in the Rawhiti Ihaka (Junior Māori) category, and was awarded the Dame Whina Cooper Memorial Trophy - Te Rākau Māpuna as the highest-placing junior female student.
“Kua tino whanake ahau mai i aku kōrero i tērā tau - kua tino eke [ki] ngā taumata. Kua tino ngāwari ake taku reo, kua tino tau taku tuku i aku kōrero.”
(I have really improved since my stand last year – I’ve reached a new level. My reo is easier and my presentation is more settled.)
Chapman’s speech topic was Āke, āke, āke! Toitū te Tiriti!. With an enthusiastic delivery, Chapman dazzled the crows as she spoke of the truths and falsehoods - ngā reka me ngā teka - of her Pāpā Shane Jones.
“[Koia] tētahi o aku kaumātua o te kāenga, o Te Kao. Ētahi kōrero mō te Tiriti o Waitangi, [He] Whakaputanga me ērā momo mea me te kāwanatanga.”
([He is] one of my elders from home in Te Kao. Some notes on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, He Whakaputanga and those sorts of topics, and the government as well.)
But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as Chapman’s mother also took the Taitokerau regional stage from 2003-2006.
Despite these similarities, Brown says her daughter is paving her own pathway.
“Taku tamahine nē, he rerekē ki ahau. Nā te mea aku kaiako i ahau e tamariki ana, he kaumātua - e kore e pai kia puta pērā atu. No reira e mihi ana ki ōna kaiako e napinapi ana i a ia kia puta pērā atu.”
(My daughter is different from me because, when I was in school, my teachers were our elders - it wasn’t really acceptable for us to express ourselves that way. So I thank her teachers who encourage her to be like this.)
“Ko tāna, he hiahia kia whai toa te whanau, tā te mea ko taku māmā, ko taku tuakana tērā kahore i tino eke ki ngā whakataetae ā-motu, engari pai ana ka tuku ki tā rātau kōtiro - Hineteaio ki ea ai ngā mahi,” Chapman says.
(She wants our whānau to have a champion because my mother and her sister didn’t make it to nationals but it’s good they can send their daughter Hineteaio to get the job done.)
Brown was also involved in her daughter’s speech preparations, even while reporting at the Paris Olympics in July.
“Koia tērā e waea ana i te rua karaka i te ata, [ka mea mai] ‘Māmā e pai ana tēnei?’.”
(She would ring me up at 2am [and say] ‘Mum, is this ok?’.)
Hineteaio’s grandfather Hori Chapman sat behind her onstage, beaming with pride at his mokopuna.
He acknowledged her school and wider whānau who had her along this journey.
“Nā te mahi tahi, nā te whakaaro tahi kua ea tana tū ki runga i te atamira i tēnei rā.”
(By working together and thinking as one, we are satisfied with her efforts on stage today.)
Hineteaio says she is not fussed with results this year but instead focuses on the bigger picture.
“I te mutunga o te ra ko te mea nui i pai ki ahau te ako i enei korero, nga korero tuku iho, kahore au e tino ware mo nga turanga i tenei tau - he pai noa ki ahau te tu.”
(At the end of the day, what matters to me is that I learnt these stories - the stories handed down to us. I’m not worried about placings this year - I’m satisfied with my stand.)
Once she finishes high school, Chapman is setting her sights on basketball with hopes of joining the WNBA.