Te Mātārae-i-Ōrehu Appreciation post
(Words by Lucy Schrader Manuera - She/her - Te Aupōuri)
Wetini Mitai Ngatai, group leader of Te Mātārae i Ōrehu has recently announced their resignation from competition kapa haka. Te Mātārae i Ōrehu have paved the way in many senses of te Ao Kapa Haka. The rōpū were established by Irirangi Tiakiawa Tāhuriorangi in October 1994.
With their various achievements including, two Matatini wins in 2000 and 2011, collaborating with NZ Royal Ballet Company in 2001, performing at the Rugby World Cup 2018 and countless festivals around the world, alongside numerous other awards in different categories. They are an exceptional example of embracing your whakapapa, and being unapologetically Māori. The attention to detail and willingness to push the boundaries of te Ao Kapa Haka has never gone unnoticed.
Te Mātārae-i-Ōrehu have expressed their appreciation for the constant support that has allowed them to thrive. "We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to our families and supporters of yesterday and today who have stood by our side throughout this incredible journey. Your belief in us has been the driving force behind our achievements, "said Wetini Mitai Ngatai. "We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Te Matatini and the Māori Kapa Haka World for embracing and supporting us throughout the years. It is because of your continuous support that we were able to represent our culture and heritage on both national and international stages."
With countless achievements, three decades of jaw-dropping performances, and a legacy etched into the history of te Ao Kapa Haka, this is the end of an era. The time has come to pass the rākau onto our next generation of kaihaka.
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Nō nā tata nei, whakomōhio atu a Wetini Mitai Ngatai ki te motu, ka whakamoea Te Kapa Haka o Te Mātārae i Ōrehu, ā, kāore te kapa e tū anō ki ngā whakataetae kapa haka. Nā Te Matarae i Ōrehu te ara i para ki ngā āhuatanga auaha maha o te Ao Kapa Haka. Nā Irirangi Tiakiawa Tāhuriorangi tēnei kapa i whakatū i te tau 1994.
He nui ngā tutukinga i ekea e te kapa. Ko rātou ngā toa whakaihuwaka o Te Matatini i te tau 2000 me te tau 2011. I whakatūria he whakaaturanga ki te taha i te NZ Royal Ballet i te tau 2001.I tū rātou ki te whakataetae whutupaoro o te ao 2018 me te huhua hoki o ngā kaupapa huri noa i te motu. Inā anō te nui o ngā tohutoa i riro i a rātou. He tauira rangatira rātou mō te whakatinana i tō whakapapa me te tū māia hei Māori. Ko tō rātou aronui kia āmiki te tū me tō rātou tangongitanga i kaha kitea.
Kua whakapuakitia e Te Mātārae-i-Ōrehu ā rātou whakamānawa ki te tini i tautoko i a rātou i roto i ngā tau. “He mihi tēnei ki ō mātou whānau, ki o mātou kaitautoko hoki, o mua, o nāianei hoki. Koutou kua tū tapatahi ki a mātou i roto i ngā tau. Ko tō koutou whakapono mai ki a mātou te au i tō ai i a mātou kia tutuki ai ngā whainga,” ko tā Wetini Mitai Ngatai. “He hiahia hoki ki te tuku i o mātou mihi whamānawa ki Te Matatini, me te ao Kapa Haka, i rūmaki, i hāpai i a mātou i roto i ngā tau. Nā tō koutou tautoko i tāea ai tā mātou whakatinana i te ahurea Māori ki te motu whānau, ki te ao whānui hoki. E hia kē nei ngā whiwhinga i ekea. Toru tekau tau e whakamīharo ana i te tangata. Kua mātua whakaairohia te tuakiri o te ao kapa haka e ngā whakarerenga o te kapa nei. He tōnga nui, whakahirahira tēnei. Kua tae ki te wā kia tukuna te rākau ki te whakatipuranga kaihaka e whai ake nei.