Te Roopu o Hauraki me te Rohe Pōtae (Thames Valley/Waikato King Country). Photo / Shayne Jeffares
Te Roopu o Hauraki me te Rohe Pōtae (Thames Valley/Waikato King Country). Photo / Shayne Jeffares
The usually peaceful Sir Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karapiro was trembling with special kapa haka performances last week, when six groups took the stage as part of Te Wakatini.
Te Wakatini is Idea Services Mid Central Regional Kapa Haka Festival which puts performers with intellectual disabilities in the spotlight.
The kapa haka rōpū (groups) were supported by Idea Services staff from Gisborne, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, Waikato and the mid-central region.
One of the groups participating was Te Roopu o Hauraki me Te Rohe Pōtae from Thames Valley and Waikato King Country.
Group member Robert Smith has been a part of Te Roopu o Hauraki me Te Rohe Pōtae for many years and said it has strengthened his understanding of Māori culture.
The Southern and the Northern region both had well-attended festivals earlier this month and the Central region festival for the lower North Island Te Ngākautaki o ngā Kāhui-maunga is taking place in Wairarapa this week.
Te Atakura Ryan from IHC’s Māori advisory group Te Anga Pāua says the people supported by IDEA Services take kapa haka very seriously.
Members of Te Roopu Atawhai o te Tairāwhiti performed at Lake Karapiro last week. Photo / Idea Services
“It’s an important artform. It’s a taonga that encourages connection to their whakapapa and to each other.
“Everyone has been working so hard getting ready for this festival and you can see on their faces how proud they are to stand on the stage and show what they can do.”
Idea Services, a subsidiary of IHC Group, supports adults with intellectual disabilities to live in their own homes and be part of their local communities.
Idea Services regional kapa haka festivals have been taking place for a decade.
The national festival, called Te Anga Pāua o Aotearoa National Kapa Haka Festival, is held biennially, with the next one set to take place next year in Waikato.
