July 29, 2019
Matatini mauri shared with Waiheke
The mauri of Te Matatini has been taken to Piritahi Marae at Waiheke from Mataatua Marae ki Tāmaki, where it has been hosted for the past month.
Mataatua chair Pouroto Ngaropo says it was an honour to hold the symbolic representation of the national kapa haka competition.
He says more than 200 people including representatives from Tāmaki’s five kapa haka made the trip to the island on Saturday to support the handover of the stone.
"Ngāti Pāoa and the schools, kuia and koroua were there to welcome us. Beautiful pōwhiri, trying to bring unity leading up to February 2021, bringing us together so that we host standing together as one Auckland, one Tāmaki Makaurau 2021," he says.
The next group to tono for the mauri is Hauraki.
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