January 21, 2016
Waka festival bringing Tamaki iwi together
The chair of the Mana Whenua Steering Group for the Auckland Anniversary Weekend Tamaki Herenga Waka Festival says creating the super city’s first Maori signature event has bought the region’s iwi together.
Details of the festival were outlined today along with the rest of what’s being called Auckland’s Ultimate Summer.
That weekend there will also be the ASB Auckland Seafood Festival, Ports of Auckland’s Seaport open weekend, Laneway, the Auckland International Buskers Festival, the Anniversary Day Regatta and other events on and off the water.
Hauauru Rawiri says 160 years ago the regatta was a Maori event, and this year marks a return to that, with crews from the various hapu and iwi competing on the water.
“Waka represent our heritage – how we navigated to Aotearoa and the indigenous knowledge we held to make that journey. They give Maori a sense of identity,” he says.
The festival also includes music, kapa haka, workshops on traditional Maori games and crafts, te reo lessons, story telling, and healing.
During February sports fans will have a feast of cricket and the NRL Auckland Nines, the Lantern Festival later in the month has been moved to the Domain, and the Pop-up Globe Theatre opens with a run of Shakespeare plays on February 19.
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