Stan Walker: Returning home has allowed me to be among my people again

Stan Walker's “yearning to reconnect with my whakapapa" has bought him home. Photo / Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara

Multi-award-winning Māori musician Stan Walker is living it up and loves being back in Aotearoa to celebrate the future up-and-comings of the Rātana church.

Stan (Roto) Walker was just one of the crowd who made the pilgrimage to celebrate this week’s gathering in the small village of Rātana Pā, on the outskirts of Whanganui.

Walker has many connections to the village and to the church Ratana movement, which celebrates the 150th birthday of founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.

“For me, returning home has allowed me to be amongst my people again, where I’m learning so much about myself and my people again,” Walker, who made it big in Australia, told the Herald.

He has returned to the region where he lives with his wife Lou and two children.

Te Reanga Morehu O Ratana kapa haka team. Photo / Facebook

He also took the opportunity to reconnect with his roots and joined Te Reanga Mōrehu O Ratana, a champion kapa haka group from the Taranaki/Whanganui region. He hopes to be part of next month’s Te Matatini in Tamaki Makaurau.

“I wanted to put myself in a position where I can be taught about home, my religion and the history of my people. So I returned home and joined up with Te Reanga Mōrehu O Ratana to elevate that thought and put actions to words,” he said.

Walker said he has “a yearning to reconnect with my whakapapa which has brought me home”.

His nan, Taini Te Arohanui Nepia, was a stalwart in his musical upbringing. He paid tribute to her in his waiata, written by Te Taepa Kameta, named Te Arohanui.