Koina That's Us
Daily Post Column, Te Ururoa Flavell
I welcome your feedback: e-mail: mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz, phone: 07 3503261, PO Box 12028 Rotorua
Kia ora tatau. Katahi te mahi whakahirahira nei kia Te Arawa, ara, ko te kapa haka.
I a rua tau ka eke a Te Arawa ki runga i te ataamira ki te whakamatautau i a ia ano i roto i nga mahi a rehia. A, ko nga mea toa ka whakakotahi nei i a ratau ano ki te kawe i nga matauranga, nga pumanawa, nga tinana ki mua i te aroaro o te motu ki te Matatini.
No reira kia koutou i tu i te papa tuwaewae i nga ra tata nei, koinei te mihi kia koutou katoa i whakaari nei i nga taonga a kui ma a koro ma.
Katahi nei te mahi whakaihihi i toku ngakau- ahakoa he kaihaka, he kaitautoko ranei. Koinei te ahuatanga o te mahi kapa haka.
Ko tetahi o nga painga moku a mema paremata nei, ko te rongo i nga take nui, whakaharahara mo te rohe, mo te motu, i roto i nga waiata a ringa, nga poi, tae atu ki nga Haka a Tanerore.
I nga tau kua hipa, kua puta te korero mo te inu waipiro mo te kai tarutaru, te patu tangata, ko te reo maori, te tino rangatiratanga, te ngoikore ranei o te kawanatanga o taua wa, me te Takutai Moana tonu.
Heoi ano he whakatupato taku. Ahakoa te reka o tangi mai o nga reo, te ihi me te wehi o roto o tetahi haka, te ataahua ranei o te rere o te poi, ki te kore tatau e whai i te tikanga o te waiata o te haka ranei, ki a au nei, kaore he paku take o te tu ki te ataamira.
Ki te nuinga o nga Kaiwhakawa (ki taku mohio) koinei ta ratau e pirangi nei ara, kia hono nga kupu ki te ahua o te tinana kia whai kiko ai te waiata ranei, te haka ranei. Ki te kore e pena, he hoia te tu- ka whai tetahi i tetahi ki tetahi huarahi engari kaore te tangata i te mohio ki te wahi e haere nei ratou. Ma nga Kaiwhakawa tera e korero, ki a au ano, mena ka kii mai te waiata kei te ngaro haere te reo Maori, a, me penei me pera tatau, kati me pera! Ki te kii mai te haka he kino te kai hikareti he mea patu i te tinana, me mutu te kai i taua kai, me whai te kapa i taua tohutohu! Ki te kore, he aha te take o te waiata o te haka ranei?
E hia ke nei nga painga o te kapa haka engari he moumou taima noa iho, mena ko te waiata i te waiata i tona kotahi te mahi.
Noho ora mai i raro i te manaakitanga o te wahi ngaro.
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If there's one thing Te Arawa love it's kapa haka. Every two years Te Arawa will take to the stage to test themselves and those that are successful gather themselves together to travel with all of the skills, the knowledge, the physical preparation, to perform at the national competition at Te Matatini.
So, to those of you who took the stage very recently to showpiece the treasures of our ancestors, my congratulations to you all.
Kapa haka is something that really stirs the soul whether you are a performer or a fan. This is what kapa haka does to you.
One of the benefits for me as a Member of Parliament is that I get to hear about the important issues of the day locally and nationally through song, poi and haka. In years gone by the topics included boozing, drug abuse, violence; Maori language, self determination or weak governments of the day; not to mention of course, Takutaimoana..
I have a concern. Despite the sweetness of the songs or the energy and vitality of the haka or the graceful twirl of the poi, if we don't walk the talk as espoused in the song or the haka, as far as I am concerned, there is no use standing on the stage.
For the majority of the judges as far as I know this is what they are after, namely that the coordination of the actions with the words so that the song or haka has some substance. If they don't do that, the group are simply like soldiers with one following another not really knowing where they are going but marching anyway. That is for judges to elaborate on. To me, if the song says that the language is being lost and we should do this or do that - well let's do it! If the haka says that smoking is disastrous for you and we should stop smoking, well, the group should follow that statement. If not, what is the purpose of the haka or the song?
There are heaps of benefits that can be derived from kapa haka, however it's a waste of time if all you're doing is singing the song for the sake of it.
May you be kept safe in all that you do.

Waiariki Electorate Office of
Te Ururoa Flavell
Member of Parliament, Waiariki
1489 Eruera Street
PO Box 12028
Rotorua Central Mall 3045
T: 07 3503261 / 0508 WAIARIKI (924274)
F: 07 3503267
mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz
www.waiariki.maori.nz
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