While the All Blacks challenge the world with their haka, Whakatane school children are preparing to take on their kapa haka peers in Auckland.
Following the Rangitaiki Schools' Cultural Festival at Edgecumbe College, three schools are preparing their kapa haka teams for national glory.
Paroa Primary School,
who won the competition for the second consecutive year, Ruatoki and Whakatane Intermediate School will head to Auckland next month to compete in the national championships on October 15.
Whakatane Intermediate School's kapa haka group of 26 students will now be practising most weeknights after school and fundraising at weekends for the trip.
Their pieces are written by their tutors, Dallas Toko and Vonnie Waihirere with co-ordinator Rosie Kara saying each song has a different story. "We start by celebrating language in general, of the art of communication in our pio song. The action song in part welcomes other schools and we wish them well - but then we have a little boast about ourselves."
Ms Kara said once the sportsmanship was over, the boys' haka was a more serious tale.
"Our boys' haka acknowledged the return of the bones of our Ngati Awa ancestors who were executed in Mt Eden prison during the land confiscation. The bones were returned as part of the settlement last year and we acknowledged that - not in anger but a recognition that our ancestors had been returned and their names had been cleared."
Competition results: Performance, Paroa 1, Whakatane Intermediate 2, Edgecumbe Primary 3.
Novice, Paroa 1, Ruatoki 2, Te Mahoe 3.
