Published in: Kokiri Issue 10 - Hereturikōka - Mahuru 2008
E whā tau rātou e ngaro ana i Te Matatini, hei te tau e heke iho nei ka hoki atu ngā kapa haka a Te Arawa ki ngā taumāhekeheke kapa haka o te motu.
Tekau mā whā ngā kapa i whakaheke werawera, i whakapau kaha i ngā whakataetae ā rohe.
“Kei te hari koa ngā kaumātua o Te Arawa, kua rongo anō mātou i te ihi me te wehi o ā tātou tamariki mokopuna i runga i te papa whakatū waewae,” tā Anaru Rangiheuea.
E whā ngā kapa ka haere ki Te Matatini, ka tū ki Tauranga Moana ā te Hui Tanguru e tū mai nei.
Nō Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao te hōnore nui o te pō. I tuarua ko Manaia me Te Matarae i ōrehu, ā, i tuatoru ko Ngā Uri o Te Whanoa.
“Kei te hīkaka tonu mātou, engari kei te mōhio hoki mātou, he mahi nui kei mua i a mātou, e eke ai mātou ki Te Matatini hei kanohi mo tō tātou waka,” tā te poutātaki wahine o Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao a Laurelle Tamati.
“Kua roa mātou e whanga ana ki te kapo ake i ngā hōnore mō te whakataetae ā-rohe o Te Arawa na reira kei te tino harikoa mātou katoa,” hei tāna anō.
I whakawhiwhia hoki ki te rōpū o Te Rau Aroha nō Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao i te taitara mō te kapa mātāpūputu o Te Arawa ki ngā whakataetae ā-rohe.
“Kei te hīkaka katoa a Whakarewarewa ki ngā hōnore nui nei me mihi ka tika hoki ki ngā koeke nō rātou katoa ngā whakaakoranga haka i tō ki roto i tēnā, i tēnā o mātou,” tā Laurelle anō.