Gardens occupation remembered as iwi celebrate

Jay Rerekura (left) and Justin Gush have put many years into planning iwi events. They are pictured with their children, Te Ata Hapara Rerekura, 9, and 5-year-old Jaylah Hiri-Gush. Photo/Bevan Conley

There will be a mixture of sport, entertainment and Whanganuitanga in the three-day celebration that begins in Wanganui on February 28.

Whanganui iwi have made a tradition of celebrating on February 28 every year since 1995, when their 79-day occupation or reclamation of Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens began on that day.

"Part of the celebration is to remember the occupation and the other part is to celebrate our Whanganuitanga," organiser Jay Rerekura said.

This year the first day of the Raukotahi celebration is for sport and entertainment, the second for waka ama racing and the third is a continuation of last year's leadership summit - a day to assess and hone the skills of future tribal leaders. Organisers include Mr Rerekura, Gerrard Albert, Justin Gush and Nancy Tuaine.

As before, members of the Whanganui confederation of tribes will set up camp at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on February 27.

The road between the gardens and the river will be closed on February 28. The day will begin with karakia at the riverside at 6am "to pay homage to our awa and get us off to a good start".

The group will then formally move on to the marae they set up at the gardens for breakfast.

Kura and kohanga reo pupils will then arrive and parade around the marae and perform. A triathlon begins at the same time, with a quiz, a run, a swim at the Wanganui East Pool and then a paddle back across the river to the gardens.

Te Taikura o te Awa Tupua, a kapa haka group for older people, perform at 11am.

There will be fitness demonstrations and a kapa haka super 8 competition - with performances by mixed age groups of eight from the same whanau.

The entertainment begins at 3pm and continues until 8.30, and Mr Rerekura is hoping The Black Trio will be among the line-up.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

Some members will spend a second night at the gardens, packing up on the morning of March 1.

On that day the Awa Sport Trust and Wanganui's waka ama club Te Renga Miti Tai Heke will be holding waka ama races between the Aramoho Railway and Dublin St bridges. Boats will be launched from the Wanganui Motor Boat Club slipway, and Mr Gush expects about 20 marae to compete.

Prizegiving will take place when the races are over, about 4.30pm.

The next Raukotahi day will be held at Rangahaua, the marae at the Tupoho Community Complex in Liverpool St. It's a continuation of the summit held last year and the aim is to encourage tribal leaders. Three scholarships came out of that summit.

On March 2 there will be two main sessions at Rangahaua - one on te reo Maori and the other on governance skills, with real-life boardroom scenarios for people to practise on. There will also be waiata, of course.

"It's all about building our people, building our culture, building our reo," Mr Rerekura said.