Hundreds of keen rangatahi gathered at Opononi Area School today for the second day of the annual Te Tai Tokerau Festival.
The festival brings together secondary schools from across the region to celebrate Māori performing arts, offering students a platform to express their cultural identity.
In it’s 50th year, the festival returned to Te Kura Takiwa o Opononi (Opononi Area School). Deputy Principal Milton Ross says the festival is a chance to further strengthen ties to the culture.
“Kia whakapakari ake i te reo, ngā tikanga me te ponotanga ki ngā āhuatanga Māori i roto i ō tātou nei kura.”
To further strengthen the language, practices and belief in all things Māori within our kura.
The festival is all about getting secondary students involved in kapa haka, without the pressure of competition.
It’s held in the first term of the school year and gives students a chance to dive into Māori performing arts. It’s a kaupapa for beginners, offering a friendly space to explore and enjoy the culture.
Ngāpuhi descendant Hōhepa Paati says reaching 50 years of the festival is a long dream come true.
“Mā konei e kite ai te pūāwaitanga o ngā moemoeā me ngā wawata i tū tuatahi mai ai tēnei kaupapa i konei, i Opononi.”
Here you can see the development of the dreams and aspirations since this event first took place here in Opononi.
27 schools across the Northland region have stood on the kapa haka stage over the past two days entertaining the masses from near and far.
However, as many descendants of the region living away from home, the call to return to this festival is one of love.
Paati says it’s a great sign seeing the many descendants of Te Taitokerau return for the occasion.
“Ko te matemateāone pea o te hunga kua wehe atu i te kāinga, mā ēnei tūmomo hui, ēnei tūmomo kaupapa e hoki mai ai rātou ki tō rātou ake nei kāinga i waenganui anō i ō rātou nei whanaunga.”
It is probably the deep love for those who have left home, that because of these gatherings and events that they come back to their roots amongst their relations.
Furthermore, looking to the future, descendants are excited to see the growth of the festival in the next 50 years and beyond.
Ko ngā tikanga kei runga!
E ai ki te Pouārahi o TKKM o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa Pouārahi, a Pene Tāwhara ko te manako nui kia pupuri tonu i ngā tāonga nui o te Māori.
“Ka ora ēnei tūwhai āhuaranga, ko te reo tonu, tikanga tonu. Ka mutu, kua tae rawa te Māori, mātou o te takiwā nei o Te Taitokerau, ki tētahi tiketiketanga e taea ai te toitūtanga, te hautūtanga o te mana Māori motuhake e kōrerohia nei e ngā mātua, e ngā tūpuna i te wā i a rātou.”
Te Rangi Āniwaniwa#HAUKĀINGA 🎥 Te Rangi Āniwaniwa at Te Taitokerau Festival 2025 on the Wharekōrero App or tehiku.nz https://tku.nz/p.Nni
Posted by Te Hiku Media on Wednesday, April 9, 2025
E tautoko ana a Tianara Wīhongi, pouako o TKKM O Kaikohe, ko tāna, ko te wawata nui kia whai wāhi nui atu ngā kura katoa o te rohe. Kia pūmau ai ngā taonga tuku iho ki ngā tauira o aua kura.
“Ka ū tonu tēnei whītara ki tana kotahi rau ko taku tino hiahia, kia Māori katoa ngā kura auraki. Ahakoa he kura auraki, he Māori te tū, he Māori te āhua, he Māori te aroha, he Māori te ngākau.”
