March 17, 2015
Eru Thompson remembered at Polyfest
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The ASB Polyfest starts this morning with special flag raising ceremony to mark the death late last year of South Auckland kaumatua Eru Thompson.
Mr Thompson was the festival kaumatua for much of the event’s 40 year history and performed a key role at the festival flag raising and powhiri each year.
ASB Polyfest Trust chair Steve Bouvaird says as a representative of Tainui and the Kingitanga he made an enormous contribution to organisers’ understanding of protocol and Maori culture.
After the flag raising will come the formal powhiri for manuhiri to the Manukau Sports Bowl.
The Maori stage division three competition starts at 10, and then it’s all on for the next four days as more than 9000 students from over 60 schools perform on the six stages – Maori, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoan, Tongan and the Diversity stage.
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