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'Come for the haka, stay for the healing': Auckland celebrates haka without the competition

Among the rōpū who took the stage at Tāmaki Hakangāhau was the Auckland Anglican Māori Club, with five kaihaka performing who have been there since Sir Kingi Matutaera Ihaka founded the club in 1967. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Tāmaki Makaurau came alive on Saturday as haka took centre stage at Spark Arena for Tāmaki Hakangāhau - a celebration of te reo , Māori culture and expression rather than competition. Carrying the wairua of Te Matatini 2025 , the kaupapa brought together kaihaka, whānau, rangatahi and tamariki under the banner: "Come for the haka, stay for the healing, leave as whānau." From seasoned performers like five-time Te Matatini champions Te Waka Huia (pictured) to haka-loving tamariki taking the stage for the first time – Hakangāhau brought together a full spectrum of talent. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Te Waka Huia leader and haka expert Tāpeta Wehi said the event was a reminder of what haka can hold. "It's about kotahitanga. This is our space to stand together. To celebrate who we are." It was a chance to honour te ao Māori on their own terms - without the pressure of competition, he said. "We've all just come off the whakataetae (competitive) stage, and the whole wairua is different. Whakataetae, you're pretty intense, everyone's a little bit uptight, but at whakangahau you can go out there and have a bit of fun." Wehi said the kaupapa also offered space to nurture new talent and pass the legacy of haka on to the next generation. "We had a few young ones with us today; this is the time to introduce them to the big stage and celebrate together. "Look around - the sun's shining, the young people are here. We're celebrating our culture. We're celebrating our reo." Te Waka Huia leader and haka expert Tāpeta Wehi said Tāmaki Hakangāhau was a place for Māori to stand together and celebrate who they are as a people. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Wehi, like many kaihaka, performed alongside his whānau, including his six-week-old mokopuna. "The waiata we were doing was about our tamariki and mokopuna - the future of who we are," he said. "I brought my mokopuna out to the front because she's going to grow up in that world." "She's going to grow up in te ao Māori, in te ao haka. We grew up in that world, and this is just a time to pass it all on to our mokopuna. They're the future." Tāmaki Hakangākau also celebrated te ao Māori off-stage, hosting a kaupapa Māori market featuring kai, taonga, kākahu and fundraising stalls in support of local whānau, kura and Māori-led initiatives. Among those fundraising were Adria and Gianne from Te Kōhanga Reo o Kākāriki, who were offering $5 moko - glitter options included. Te Kōhanga Reo o Kākāriki were offering tāmoko to whānau at Tāmaki Hakangāhau - raising pūtea for their kōhanga. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ They said the day created a space for tamariki to see te ao Māori celebrated unapologetically. "It's really nice to be in a Māori environment, to be with your own people," Adria said. "It's also really nice for those who aren't Māori to come and be with us too, in a Māori environment." Gianne said the kaupapa created an environment where tamariki could see themselves reflected proudly on stage and in the crowd. "All of these things come naturally to all of us, especially being in kōhanga reo. "This is what our kids see and breathe, live every day. So, it's normal, normal to me. Therefore, it's important to remain in these spaces." Nga Tumanako who placed 3rd at Te Matatini 2025 took the stage at Tāmaki Hakangāhau with young and passionate kaihaka. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Adria said it was also beautiful to see tamariki wearing moko proudly. "It's so fun and they love it. Why would you take something away from our tamariki that they're enjoying? Why would you disparage that? It's unnecessary." Gianne added that no matter what ministers say in Parliament - referencing NZ First leader Winston Peters calling Rawiri Waititi's mataora "scribbles" - they will continue to be unapologetically Māori. "And we're trying to normalise scribbles. It's beautiful. Come and tautoko our mokopuna and scribble the world!" Ākonga from Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, Rawiri Howard, Terina Taia, Charlie O'Sullivan and Jaksyn Hepi-Ngarongo. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Ākonga on their reo Māori journey from Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa were also in attendance, supporting their kaiako and soaking in the performances. "The muscle fritters were really good but I loved watching the babies performing with the ropū," Terina Taia said, adding that it was heartwarming to see kaumātua and tamariki alike on stage. "It was also really cool to be able to understand the kaupapa," "Being able to understand the kōrero from the kaimihi without asking someone else - that was amazing." Fellow ākonga Jaksyn Hepi-Ngarongo said while he didn't catch every word, he felt the essence through the wairua. "I didn't understand some of it, but I could feel it. That was my understanding - I could feel the meaning." The group said it was a day of being proud to be Māori. Te Poho o Hinekahukura closed their performance with a mihi to Te Pāti Māori, singing the waiata 'Be Proud to be Māori.' Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises On the day, many haka rōpū didn't shy away from politics, some directing pointed messages at government ministers, including Winston Peters. Wehi said the stage was the right place to share those narratives. "Our action song was about this - the kōhanga reo movement, the kura kaupapa, and our children," he said. Despite some of the "low blows" Māori have faced this year, Wehi said the community had only grown stronger. "We're strong people, we're resilient. And this is what we're all about - keep moving, whānau. Kotahitanga, unity, is what's gonna get us over the line." Another key message across performances was the importance of voting, with many rōpū encouraging Māori to "kaua e nōti, puta ki te pōti" ahead of the upcoming election. "Kua tae te wā. This is the time. We have to vote. We saw what's been going on in Whare Pāremata (Parliament) this week," Wehi told RNZ. "If you don't vote, then don't moan, whānau." Te Kapa Haka o Te Wharekura o Hoani Waititi Marae – the top qualifying rōpū from Tāmaki Makaurau for Mana Kuratahi ki Mataatua 2025 – delivered a powerful bracket on Saturday. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Haka expert and leader of Te Rōpū Manutaki Paora Sharples said kapa haka remains a powerful platform to reflect the lived realities of Māori. "It's a way of acknowledging what's happening to us as Māori - not just in the past or future, but right now." He said the political kōrero of the week - including comments by NZ First leader Winston Peters and the debate around Te Pāti Māori - echoed in many brackets over the weekend. "It's an example of the power of kapa haka and our ability to keep our language and our customs alive through these forms of expression." Kaihaka from Te Rōpū Manutaki at Tāmaki Hakangāhau 2025. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises Sharples also urged whānau to take that energy to the ballot box. "That's what we should all be doing - voting. That's where it counts. It's no good us marching up and down the street if we don't vote." He encouraged Māori to keep the kōrero going - whether that be online or on stage. "That's something we need to keep talking about in all our different mediums, online, as well as in physical manifestations like kapa haka." 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