Thousands are expected to attend this year’s Tūrangawaewae Marae Regatta, an annual event significant to the iwi of Tainui Waka.
A key feature of this year’s programme is a performance lineup that includes haka teams from the recent Te Matatini competition, among them reigning champions Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue.
Initially started as a fundraising event for Tūrangawaewae Marae, project manager Manawa Rhind said the event has grown.
“The fundraiser is still the main kaupapa, but under that we’re still helping everybody as well. All our whānau that are fundraising for their kid’s sports through food stalls.”
The regatta, first held in 1896, is the second oldest regatta in Aotearoa. It was initially organised by the Ngāruawāhia community to promote aquatic sports and the preservation of Māori river activities and customs.
Rhind noted that this year’s regatta provides an opportunity to highlight the development of the event through the involvement of the next generation.
“We’re a small town that all whakapapa to this marae, so the real question this year was ‘How can we showcase us to the motu, to the world even,”
River activities for Tūrangawaewae Regatta include canoe races such as kōpapa; a six-man, single hollowed canoe that has no Ama (side weight) to balance the weight.
The event now attracts thousands of spectators and participants to Tūrangawaewae marae every year.
Aside from the thrilling canoe races, the event also features a diverse range of activities, including kapa haka performances, live music, and a marketplace filled with Māori arts, crafts, and food.
Te rīketa tuatahi a Te Arikinui
Tuia i ngā tūāhuatanga kitea i ia tau, koinei te hui tuatahi a Ngāwai Hono i te Pō, hei Kuini Māori.
Hei tā te māngai o te tari o te Kīngitanga, tā Ngira Simmonds, he taiopenga tēnei kua paingia e te iwi whānui tonu.
“I a te tau i a te tau e mōhio whānuitia te iwi i te rangi nui o te rīketa, engari i mua noa atu.”
Hei tā Simmonds , ka tika hoki me hui mai te iwi Māori ki raro i te tāwharautanga a te Kīngitanga, otirā, i te tāwharautanga a Te Arikinui
“Me tā mātou tūmanako ka muia te taha tika o te awa nei i te tini manomano o te tangata e kaha tautoko ana ki a ia,”
Ka mutu, ko tāna e maumahara nei, ko ngā kupu i waiho mai ai i a Tuheitia, arā, ko te kīngi o te kotahitanga.
“Kaua e karo. Kaua e whakamā, mahia tō mahi ki tāu e hiahia ai ki tō ngākau i whakapono ai,”
Hei te 9am o te Hatarei, ka timata te rangi matua o te rīketa.
Arā noa atu ngā kapa haka ka tū ki te tara wāhi awa o Waikato hei whakangahautanga, hei mātakitakihanga mā te iwi.
