Tena ano tatou Nāti mā,
My baby sister Janaya is doing some sport study at the Bay of Plenty Polytech. One of her assignments was to show the holistic fitness approach of a kapa haka lifestyle.
Being a "retired" kapa haka exponent myself, she asked me for some help so I jotted down a few thoughts for her on how kapa haka has helped me in my life.
E Nāti mā... he iwi hakahaka a Ngati Porou, e mohiotia whanuitia ana tatou mo tenei ahuatanga.
As we turn a corner in our political and tribal history we tend to look back at our journey and wonder about the reactions of those no longer with us. ‘Hearty Natis’ like Tame and Whaea with heaps of humour kept a calming influence on everyone when our hui got rowdy and downright naughty. Since their passing we have undergone many fiery clashes where east won’t meet west (so to speak) and that’s not the south bank v north bank of the Waiapu.
Wow... time has certainly flown past fast and Ngata Memorial College is about to celebrate its 50th year in existence on the 23rd of October 2009. To all my fellow students and cuzzies who were educated and trimmed for the wider world at that time, I can only say, we all have come a long long way from pimpled immature Maori students to well groomed adults and who have taken the 'É tipu e rea'(our motto) and have faced the challenges of the outside world with both hands and have lived to now... where we can reflect, cherish and celebrate our upbringing as one of our greatest achievements that Ngata Memorial College provided and prepared us all... life in the real world.
Did you hear that the Tai Rawhiti District Council wants to change the correct spelling of Ngati Porou names because it does not suit them? If you haven’t, then good, because I haven’t either. But imagine the uproar if they did? Imagine the anger and the protest that would arise. It would be a clear breach of the tino rangatiratanga o te Wiwi Naati!
Ngati Porou East Coast 2009 Club rugby... is about to start!
