Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi Kapa Haka Prepare for Regionals

Awanuiārangi Kapa Haka Ropū Prepare for Regionals  

Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi will take to the stage this weekend at the Mataatua regional kapa haka competition, bringing together staff and tauira of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in a powerful expression of unity, legacy, and aroha.  

More than a performance group, the rōpū represents the living connection between the Wānanga and its whakapapa to Awanuiārangi and Ngāti Awa. 

Te Pokaitahi Reo Lecturer, Whaea Waitangi Black, says the core purpose of Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi is to actively support the Mataatua regional gathering, both on and off the stage. 

“Te tautoko ka tika i te huihuinga ā rohe o Mataatua Kapahaka. He kaihāpai kai tautoko tō tātou Whare Wānanga a pūtea, a rauemi otira a tū ki te papa tūwaewae. Ko te wairua e kawe atu mātou ko Te Aroha— mō rātou kua wehe atu, kua wheturangitia arā ko Kōka Tuihana Pook, rāua ko tō tātou Tohunga o te Hāhi Ringatu a Koro Tutua. Tāpiri atu me whakanui ka tika i tō tātou mōrehu koroua a Tā Hirini Moko Mead.” 

The rōpū carries Te Aroha as its guiding wairua, honouring those who have passed and acknowledging the enduring presence and leadership of Tā Hirini Moko Mead.  

What makes Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi distinctive is its intergenerational makeup. Staff and tauira stand side by side, learning, performing, and strengthening one another.  

“He tū kaha, he tū pakari mō te hunga kaimahi, ākonga i raro i o tātou uara ko te manaakitanga, te pūmautanga, te tumu whakaara- whakawhanauangatanga, tētahi ki tētahi.” 

For Whaea Waitangi, this dynamic reflects strength and resilience grounded in whakawhanaungatanga. The stage becomes a space where learning extends beyond the classroom, where tauira witness their pouako modelling commitment, courage, and cultural leadership in real time.  

The name Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi itself speaks to whakapapa and collective identity. The rōpū embodies the enduring connection between the three Ngāti Awa whare: Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi (TWWoA), Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa (TRONA), and Ngāti Awa Social and Health Service (NASH), embracing the shared responsibility to uphold the legacy of tipuna— Awanuiārangi. 

“He hononga o ngā whare e toru o Ngāti Awa— TWWOA, TRONA, NASH— Ngāti Awa te Toki te tangatanga i te rā, te ngohengohe i te wai— resilient, committed to our tipuna a Awanuiārangi.” 

Through kapa haka, that resilience is made visible. For tauira, the impact is immediate and transformative. 

“He mea miharo mārika te kite i te hunga katahi kua whai kaha ki te tū ki te whakaatu i ngā akoranga kua akohia i roto i ngā wiki, ahakoa poto te wā, tū maia, tū kaha!” 

Whaea Waitangi reflects on the pride of seeing those who may have only recently found their confidence now standing strong, demonstrating what they have learned in just a matter of weeks. 

As Ngā Uri o Awanuiārangi prepares to step onto the Mataatua stage, the message is clear: 

“Te Kotahitanga, Ngāti Awa whare, Ngāti Awa tangata, tū mai, tū mai...Ara manaakitia mai!” 

A message of unity— Ngāti Awa as whare, Ngāti Awa as people, standing together and upholding the values of manaakitanga.