Kapa haka prelims performance of Te Maurea Whiritoi from the National Secondary School Kapa Haka Competition in Hastings 2016.
Waiata Tira - Nau mai e Raukawa (00:00)
When Whatihua deceitfully won a woman that was meant for his younger brother Tūrongo, Tūrongo left the west in search for a famous beauty that he heard resided in the region of Ngāti Kahungnunu. Her name was Māhinaarangi. They found love and when Māhinaarangi became pregnant, she made the trek towards the west so that she could give birth to her son in the lands of Tūrongo. When Tūrongo's father heard that he was to be a grandfather, he divided his lands amongst his two sons to ensure there would not be any ongoing fighting between them after the earlier debacle between Whatihua and Tūrongo.
Whakaeke - Ngā Patupaiarehe o Tainui (3:09)
Te Maurea Whiritoi captures the eyes and ears of the audience to take them on a journey along the path of Māhinaarangi. On this journey we begin at well-known patupaiarehe sites in the Waikato, then visit other well-known patupaiarehe sites on our way to Ngāti Kahungunu where the competition is being held. We end with the line "he uri patupaiarehe e tau nei - we are the descendants of patupaiarehe", a statement that explains the large number of fair-skinned people in the group.
Whaikōrero (6:49)
Waiata Tawhito - Karakia o te Tōanga (8:48)
This is an ancient karakia of Tainui. When the Tainui waka fnished being carved, everyone gathered to haul the canoe to the sea. When they tried to pull on the ropes to take the waka to the sea, it would not budge! This karakia was then recited to make the waka move.
Poi - Ko Māhinaarangi Waiwaiā (11:04)
We live in a world where teenagers are overwhelmed with social pressure to submit to pop-culture trends set by the rich and famous in numerous modern day contexts such as social media. Such trends often dictate how our young people think they need to look so that they feel accepted amongst their peers. This often results in low self-esteem and a misperception that they are less beautiful than they really are.
This item endeavors to remind our rangatahi of their beauty as young Māori woman. Their beauty extends beyond the exterior. Beauty of the mind and spirit are molded by our mana motuhake and handed down by our forbearers. Our beauty as Māori comes from the gods and our ancestors.
This song likens the beauty of our young Māori women to their ancestor Māhinaarangi, a descendant of Tamatea and Kahungunu who married Tūrongo of Waikato. The extraordinary beauty of Māhinaarangi was renown across the country and widely spoken of in tribal stories.
Waiata ā-ringa - Te Hua o Te Kawariki (15:49)
This waiata is a mournful song that is dedicated to those who have been taken before their rightful time. Life is something special, not something to merely throw away, for everyone has a greater purpose in life. We mourn for those who did not yet come of age to fulfil that greater purpose.
Haka - Te Toa Matahuna! (20:10)
The keyboard warrior is a very real issue of the modern day. They are a bully who has very little thought for the consequences of their actions. The immediate consequence is a depressed child. The ultimate consequence is suicide. This haka holds whānau, iwi and the bully themself accountable, and brings the reality of this situation to the forefront of everyone's minds.
Whakawātea - Te Hāro o te Kāhu (23:49)
We compare the return of Te Maurea Whiritoi to the flight of the hawk. We pay acknowledgement to the hosts for looking after this kaupapa. However, our minds also turn to the troubles that have erupted in the media and social media of late. We ask that people put a stop to this sort of nonsense; otherwise we will quickly forget what the true kaupapa of kapa haka is.