Festival achieving goal of promoting, revitalising te reo and culture

Te Puna Reo o Whare Amai kids stand out in their blue shirts at the Tūranganui Schools’ Maori Cultural Festival at the Showgrounds Park Event Centre yesterday. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Thousands of tamariki from across Tairāwhiti have been taking the stage to show off their kapa haka skills at the annual Tūranganui Schools’ Māori Cultural Festival (TSMCF).

This is the 38th edition of the event and one of the biggest they have ever had, TSMCF chair Roschelle Koia said.

“To think about how this started, with just eight schools over two nights at the War Memorial Theatre, to now having 65 groups over a whole week — it’s amazing,” Roschelle said.

“You couldn’t ask me which is my favourite, as they have all been my favourite,” she said.

For some, it’s their first time onstage or performing kapa haka.

The festival was all about participation, she said. The competitive side of kapa haka was left for Tamararo — the regional kapa haka competition.

Thousands of whānau members have been gathering at the Farmers Air Event Centre at Showgrounds Park each day this week to watch and cheer on the tamariki.

Ilminster Intermediate made their return appearance after a 10-year hiatus and performed beautiful waiata.

Roschelle said it was great to see them back.

Another highlight was Ngāta Memorial College travelling from Ruatōrea to perform and tautoko the kaupapa.

Proud whānau, supporters and teachers have been constantly filming and taking photos over the week to record what will become childhood memories.

Roschelle said one of the audience’s favourite parts was seeing the pēpi (babies) taking the stage.

Whether they were performing, standing there crying or just doing nothing, “it’s still so cute”.

TSMCF was created with the goal to promote and revitalise te reo Māori and culture in schools. Those who started it have accomplished that goal.

“There seems to be a shift happening in schools in terms of giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Roschelle said. “Part of that is valuing and embracing our reo and culture.”

The people who started TSMCF in 1983 — Nanny Keita Ngata, Muriwai Jones, Taina Ngarimu and Joe Greene — had a vision of Māori culture becoming more prevalent in schools, she said.

Kaumātua Ngarimu said it was wonderful to see so many kura and people involved with the kaupapa after 38 years.

“It’s about bringing everybody together. It’s not just for us, it’s for everybody who wants to participate in it.

“When they do, they feel good about it and the following year they bring more with them,” he said.

The people who worked in the kaupapa were all-inclusive, which is what drew people in to take part, he said.

“When you are inclusive about things, people come and want to be involved. When you are exclusive about things, people won’t come.

“It’s all about inclusivity.”

A perfect example of that is the Pasifika groups who have performed in cultural attire while some Japanese students wore kimono.

Roschelle said when she saw that she almost cried because it was exactly what they hoped to achieve with the festival.

“It’s about everybody, this is for everybody,” Ngarimu said.

Rochelle was grateful to all the kaimahi who volunteered their time to help make the festival possible.