Nga Korero mo
Te Ahuareka
Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival debuted in 2008 and has been used as a vehicle to showcase, celebrate and preserve te reo and tikanga of Ngāti Hine. The last festival was held in 2019.
Over the years, it has attracted hundreds of attendees with its lively, thought-provoking tautohetohe debates, kapa haka, kai, stage entertainment, mahi tuna, tamariki activities and art exhibitions.
Te Ahuareka was the name of Te Ruki Kawiti’s whare rūnanga at Waiōmio which is said to have been built in the 1820s.
‘Ahuareka’ means ‘pleasant, agreeable, entertaining, pleasing,’ words which aptly capture the essence of the festival and hence why it got that name.
This year, Te Ahuareka is being held at Otiria Marae from Friday 31 March to Sunday 2 April 2023.
Nga whainga o Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine
Our aims and objectives
Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine is our festival where we come together and celebrate our heritage - what makes us Ngati Hine.
Our four key goals for the 2023 festival are:
1) To uphold and uplift our Ngati Hine language, culture and history.
Hei whakamana i te tū ō Ngati Hine, te reo, ngā tikanga me ōna hītori.
2) To underline topics of wellbeing that lead to improved quality of life.
Hei whakanui i ngā kaupapa whai oranga.
3) To celebrate achievement, skills and training development, leadership and success. Hei whakanui i ngā tohu me ērā atu mahi kua whakatutukitia
4) To work together and have fun!
Kia ngāhau te noho me te mahi tahi.
Te Ahuareka Organising Committee 2023
Our last festival was in 2019. The Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine Organising committee have worked hard to bring back our bi-annual festival. The committee comprises the following members, in addition to many other volunteers.
Chair: Tapeka Henare
Treasurer: Leanne Tamou
Secretary: Kristina Te Whata
Day 1 Programme: Huru Tipene
Day 2 Programme: Huhana Lyndon
Day 3 Programme: Hineamaru Ropati
Booklet: Te Uranga Winiata and Kristina Te Whata
Tamariki Activities: Manuwai Wells and Whanau
Site Management: Hohipere Williams and Joey Rapana
Pōwhiri: Padre Brown
Hireage: Shane Paraone
Communications: Erana Fenton
Merchandise: Suzie Scott and Nisha Marsh
Kaumātua: Kataraina Wihongi
Wātene Māori & Security: Rowena Tana
Funding & Sponsorship: Pita Tipene, Sara Tara and Cheyenne Heke
The committee acknowledges the support of Te Reo o Ngati Hine Charitable Trust.
The Trust was reconstituted in 2011 to provide an umbrella and support for activities that promote Te Reo me ngā tikanga o Ngati Hine – known as ‘Te Tu o Ngati Hine’. Te Reo o Ngati Hine Trust receives the funding acquired by the Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine committee and provides the accountability back to the funders and sponsors.
The Trust was established by Pepi Walker and her colleagues who saw that our Ngāti Hine Reo was at risk. This became the beginning of the Ngāti Hine Reo Strategy. The Trust is chaired by Tukaha Milne.