Nā Shakayla Andrews-Alapaki tēnei atikara
“Te Tūranga Toa, ākina! Te Riri Tauā! Tū tū Taiahaha!” were the final words of the ngeri performed by Te Kawa Tuangahuru, the 11th cohort of Te Whare Tū Tauā o Aotearoa, as they celebrated a significant milestone in Te Waipounamu. Four tauira were awarded their Pouwaru Tīpare, the highest level, marking more than a decade of commitment and dedication to the kaupapa.
Te Whare Tū Tauā o Aotearoa tohunga Paora Sharples said there was great joy in seeing the kaupapa hosted for the first time in Te Waipounamu. Standing in for Whare Tū Tauā founder Tā Pita Sharples, who was unable to travel south for the event, Paora reflected on the significance of bringing the gathering to Te Waipounamu.
"Mai i ngā wā o mua, he kaupapa ka whakatū ki Tāmaki, ki te haukāinga, ki te ipu karere ki Kahungunu, engari kua wharikihia kei konei me tōna pū te koa."
KĀI TAHU REPRESENTED AMONG THE GRADUATES
Among the graduates were Awarua twins Maioha and Māhina Tupe (Kāi Tahu, Hāmoa), who have been involved with the whare since they were 10 years old. Now aged 24, the sisters have become the fourth and fifth wāhine to attain the Pouwaru Tīpare.
Reflecting on receiving the honour, the pair described the moment simply as one of excitement.
"Kei te hikaka, koira noa iho. Tū ana te mauri!"
Tania Mahuru-Stanley, of Te Ohu Tuatoru - Te Tokotoru Tapu, and the first wahine to reach pou waru said she had watched the twins grow since their school days.
"Mai i te wā i kuraina rāua ki te kura o Alfriston, ka piki ake, nā reira kāre he kupu i tua atu i te miharo."
"Me te āhua o ngā māreikura me ngā whatukura, he tokorima o mātou nō reira he mea nui tēnei."
Also among those receiving their tīpare was Kiliona Tāmati-Tupa'i (Kāi Tahu, Hāmoa), whose vision helped bring the celebrations south to Te Waipounamu.
The event recognised the contribution of Kāi Tahu descendants, with three of the four recipients hailing from Te Waipounamu.
"Kua roa mātou ko tō mātou ohu o Te Kawa Tuangahuru e takahi ana i te ara poutama ki te tūranga toa o te taura pou whakarae, nō reira e pērā e kore ai e whakanui i tērā āhuatanga," said Tāmati-Tupa'i.
Tāmati-Tupa’i is also the first taura whakarae of Kāi Tahu descendant to reside in Te Waipounamu.
A LONG JOURNEY FOR A DESCENDANT OF TŪHOE
Rounding out the group was Shannon Te Whakamataku Ihoiho Borrel (Tauranga Moana, Tūhoe), the eldest of the graduates.
Borrel's journey with Whare Tū Tauā began while he was a student at Te Aute College, where old boy Sir Pita Sharples introduced tauira to the kaupapa.
"Kārekau he kōwhiringa mō mātou, he hautō ki roto i ngā mahi, koira tā mātou kai ao i te pō, pō i te ao."
After leaving school, Borrel pursued other opportunities, including time overseas, before eventually returning to Whare Tū Tauā.
"Mutu ana ki taku kura, ka tahuri ki kaupapa kē atu, ki te whenua moemoeā, ā, ka hoki au ki te kaupapa. E tika ana te kōrero, e whakatikatika ana i aku mahi."
The trip also marked Borrel's first visit to Te Waipounamu.
THE RISE OF TE TOHUNGA O TE UMU POKAPOKA Ā-TŪ
The celebrations also recognised Anaru Keogh of Te Tokotoru Tapu, Te Ohu Tuatoru, who was elevated to and acknowledged as Te Tohunga o Te Umu Pokapoka ā-Tū.
The achievement was announced by Paora Sharples following the tīpare ceremony and sanctioned by his father, Tā Pita Sharples. Accepting the honour, Keogh acknowledged Paora and the Sharples whānau as well as his own, who were present to witness the occasion.
"Ko taku whānau, ko taku aho matua …. Nō reira, e mihi kau ana ki taku whānau.”
As the celebrations came to a close, Te Kawa Tuangahuru stood proudly alongside their whānau and supporters. After more than a decade of dedication to the kaupapa, they now carry the teachings and traditions of Te Whare Tū Tauā into the future.
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“Te Tūranga Toa, ākina! Te Riri Tauā! Tū Taiaha!” Koinei ngā kupu whakamutunga o te ngeri a Te Kawa Tuangahuru, te kāhui tekau mā tahi nō Te Whare Tū Tauā o Aotearoa, i a rātou e whakanui ana i te tīparetanga ki Te Waipounamu.
Tokowhā ngā tauira i whakawhiwhia ki ō rātou tīpare pouwaru whai muri i ngā tau maha o te ū, o te manawanui ki te kaupapa.
E ai ki a Paora Sharples, nō Te Whare Tū Tauā o Aotearoa, he harikoa te kite i te kaupapa e tū ana ki Te Waipounamu me te mea, he tuatahitanga kia pēnei ai te tiparetaua o Te Whare Tū Tauā.
I tū ia hei māngai mō te kaiwhakatū o te whare, ko tōna pāpā a Tā Pita Sharples, nā runga i tōna kore tae ā-tinana mai ki te hui.
"Mai i ngā wā o mua, he kaupapa ka whakatū ki Tāmaki, ki te haukāinga, ki te ipu karere ki Kahungunu, engari kua wharikihia kei konei me tōna pū te koa."
Ngā Taura Pouwhakarae nā Tahu Pōtiki
Ko ētahi o ngā kaiwhiwhi, he māhanga nō Awarua, arā, ko Maioha rāua ko Māhina Tupe (Kāi Tahu, Hāmoa). I timata rāua i a rāua e 10 te kaumātua. Ināianei, e 24 ō rāua tau, ā, ko rāua te tuawhā me te tuarima o ngā wāhine kua eke ki te taumata o te Pouwaru Tīpare.
I te wā i uia ai te pātai mō ō rāua kare ā-roto, he kupu poto noa tā rāua,
"Kei te hikaka, koira noa iho. Tū ana te mauri!"
Ko tā te wahine tuatahi kia eke ki te taumatua taura pouwhakarae, Tania Mahuru-Stanley nō Te Ohu Tuatoru, Te Tokotoru Tapu, he kōrero mō tana tirohanga ki te tipu me te whanake o ngā māhanga nei.
"Mai i te wā i kuraina rāua ki te kura o Alfriston, ka piki ake, nā reira kāre he kupu i tua atu i te miharo."
"Me te āhua o ngā māreikura me ngā whatukura, he tokorima o mātou nō reira he mea nui tēnei."
I whakawhiwhia hoki a Kiliona Tāmati-Tupa'i (Kāi Tahu, Kāi Te Ruahikihiki, Hāmoa), nāna hoki i akiaki te whakaaro kia tū ngā whakanuitanga ki Te Waipounamu.
I puta ai te whakaaro nā runga i ngā hononga whakapapa o te tokotoru o ngā kaiwhiwhi ki roto o Kāi Tahu.
"Kua roa mātou ko tō mātou ohu o Te Kawa Tuangahuru e takahi ana i te ara poutama ki te tūranga toa o te taura pou whakarae, nō reira e pērā e kore ai e whakanui i tērā āhuatanga," hei tā Tāmati-Tupa'i.
Ko ia hoki te Taura Pouwhakarae tuatahi nō Kāi Tahu e noho ana ki Te Waipounamu.
He haerenga roa mā te iti o Tūhoe
Ko Shannon Te Whakamataku Ihoiho Borrel (Tauranga Moana, Tūhoe) te tuakana o ngā kaiwhiwhi.
I tīmata tana ara o Te Whare Tū Tauā i a ia e kuraina ana ki Te Kāreti o Te Aute, i te taenga atu o tēnei tauira tawhito o taua kura, a Tā Pita Sharples, ki te whakaako ki ngā tauira i ngā āhuatanga o Tūmatauenga.
"Kārekau he kōwhiringa mō mātou, he hautō ki roto i ngā mahi, koira tā mātou kai ao i te pō, pō i te ao."
Whai muri i tana wehenga atu i te kura, ka whai ia i ētahi atu huarahi, tae atu ki tāwāhi, ā, nō muri mai ka hoki ano ki Te Whare Tū Tauā.
"Mutu ana ki taku kura, ka tahuri ki kaupapa kē atu, ki te whenua moemoeā, ā, ka hoki au ki te kaupapa. E tika ana te kōrero, e whakatikatika ana i aku mahi."
Koinei hoki te wā tuatahi kua tae atu a Borrel ki Te Waipounamu.
E ara rā, Te Tohunga o Te Umu Pokapoka ā-Tū
Ko Anaru Keogh tērā nō Te Tokotoru Tapu, Te Ohu Tuatoru, i eke ki te taumata o te tohungatanga, ā, i whakaingoatia ia ko Te Tohunga o Te Umu Pokapoka ā-Tū.
Nā Paora Sharples tēnei whakapuakanga i muri mai i te tīparetauā, ā, nā Tā Pita Sharples taua taumata i whakamana. I tana whakaae ki te hōnore nei, ka tuku mihi a Keogh ki a Paora, ki te whānau Sharples, me tōna ake whānau i tae atu ki te kaupapa hei tautoko i a ia.
"Ko taku whānau, ko taku aho matua. Nō reira, e mihi kau ana ki taku whānau."
Neke atu i te tekau tau rātou e whakapau kaha ana ki te kaupapa, ā, ināianei kua riro mā rātou ngā mātauranga me ngā tikanga o Te Whare Tū Tauā e kawe whakamua ki ngā whakatipuranga e tū mai nei.