“We know that the rongoā for our people is to be able to come home. Ara tērā kōrero e te matemateāone, the yearning to come home kia purea koe e ngā hau o Okiwa, o te kainga.”
Rakuraku said hosting in smaller rural towns, like Waimana, was what made the Tūhoe Ahurei unique, however, it was also a challenge to host such a large event.
“Everything is being built from the ground, we have no arena... we just have our lovely environment. So all the marquees, everything, the whole infrastructure has had to start again from the ground [up],” he said.
Waimana was set to host the Ahurei back in 2020 before Covid-19 crashed down only three weeks out from the event.
This year 18 teams from around the country will gather over Easter weekend for a programme of kapa haka, sport and debate.
Chair of the Ahurei committee Maaka Te Moana said in the past competition was paramount, but for this Ahurei the trophies will be put to one side and the event will be non-competitive.
“I ngā tau ki mua ko te whakataetae te mea nui, me ki rā mo ngā taonga... nō reira tēnei tau karekau te pērā, karekau he taonga i te tū i tēnei ahurei. Koirā noiho tana kaupapa, te whakakao mai te iwi, ki te whakatinana i te matemateāone a Tūhoe.”
He said whānau living outside the rohe often come together only for tangihanga, so the Ahurei remained an important space to celebrate and gather the iwi together.
It was an opportunity to embody the concept of matemate-ā-one, the profound affection for one’s land and people.
