Pride in kapa haka placing for Te Rangiura

MANA: The group felt their performance at regionals exceeded their expectations.

A place at the national finals may have eluded them, but Wairarapa's adult kapa haka group has done their people proud.

The 38-strong Te Rangiura o Wairarapa represented the region at the Ngati Kahungunu Kapa Haka Regionals in Hastings on Waitangi Day -- the first time a Wairarapa team has appeared in the competition since 2006.

The team was awarded second place for their Whakaeke (entrance song) and fifth place overall, narrowly missing out on a top four placing and a spot at the national competition Te Matatini.

The Rangiura o Wairarapa was formed last year to help former Kura Kaupapa Maori o Wairarapa students, parents and teacher reconnect with Maori culture and history, and give them the opportunity to speak te reo more confidently.

Despite not qualifying for Te Matatini, founder Irihapeti Roberts said the group was very happy with their performance -- which signified the region's triumphant return to kapa haka.

"The group was in a good space, and I felt we performed as one unit," Irihapeti said.

"In the kapa haka world, Wairarapa have been the outcast cousins of Ngati Kahungunu for a long time -- so it was empowering for us to return to Hawke's Bay and represent our people in a positive way.

"And we've had such an outpouring of love from all our supporters, so the most important thing is that we made our district proud."

Irihapeti formed Te Rangiura o Wairarapa in Augusta with former Kura Kaupapa teacher Shari Taylor in August and has been helping the team prepare for regionals ever since. As well as rehearsal time, group members spent hours composing, writing and choreographing their performance piece, while a management committee booked practice venues and accommodation, organised catering and applied for funding.

Irihapeti also helped out with a costuming committee to design, order and make the group's costumes.

"We had to find things like feathers, get artists to draw our moko on, find people to help us dress. It's not a simple job."

The next challenge was performing at Hawke's Bay Sports Park for crowd of thousands, including supportive friends and whanau. But Irihapeti said the group was more excited than nervous, thanks to their months of team building and the electric atmosphere.

"We had arrived at a stage where we really trusted each other," she said.

"And the atmosphere was fantastic. There was a huge sense of community among Maori and non-Maori.

It was a stark contrast from other areas in the country where there was a lot of controversy on Waitangi Day."

Te Rangiura o Wairarapa's item incorporated the themes of te reo and Wairarapatanga, with waiata, poi and haka encapsulating Wairarapa history, mythology and pride in their home region.

Irihapeti said the members felt they had exceeded their individual expectations of their performance.

"It was so great coming off stage, feeling like we'd left our all up there."

Te Rangiura o Wairarapa has several public appearances on the horizon, and has a vision to make good on rangatira Paora Te Potangaroa's prophecy, that te reo will be lost in Wairarapa but return through its descendants, Irihapeti said.

"That's what makes me the most proud -- watching people grow, come out of their shells and take pride in their history, language and identity."