MP Rawiri Waititi is a key note speaker at M9. Photo / Supplied
MP Rawiri Waititi is a key note speaker at M9. Photo / Supplied
Nine powerful voices, nine unique perspectives
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and kapa haka exponent Rawiri Waititi will put on the pōtae of kaikōrero at the upcoming M9 event.
Waititi (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Whakatōhea, Tūhoe) said M9′s kaupapa and the mantra of “Taku ihi! Taku wehi! Taku wana!” has more than one meaning.
Presented by broadcaster Stacey Morrison, the M9 lineup includes a range of renowned kaihaka (performers) in Aotearoa, including Te Pāti Māori co leader and long time kapahaka exponent Rawiri Waititi, broadcaster Matai Smith, clinical psychologist and decoloniser advocate Dr Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, Māori businesswoman and kapahaka performer Kahurangi Milne, multi-award winning musician Troy Kingi, Māori TV presenter Paeta Melbourne, artist and masters student in mātauranga Māori, Cilla Ruha, veteran kaihaka practitioner Kura Te Ua and Māori businessman and New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chairman Bailey Mackey.
Waititi, who will be one of the faces of Te Matatini, says kapahaka is like therapy.
“It allows you to be who you want to be without restraint, but to follow your puku. So it sits right in the gut of your very essence and that’s what the ihi, the wehi and wana does,” Waititi told the Herald.
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi holding his tie aloft to symbolise a noose during his maiden speech in Parliament, Wellington in December last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“It is the repository of our knowledge, mātauranga and wairua.”
Waititi, who says was born into haka, pointed out that the expression of Māori essence through kapahaka is seen everywhere, whether on the marae, at weddings, unveilings, 21st birthday parties, tangihanga or pōhiri.
“Haka is not just what they see as entertainment or art. This is a total cultural expression of our people that has survived. And it will continue to survive,” he says.
Waititi’s critique of those who limit kapahaka also extends to those who believe there is no inherent value within te ao Māori.
“Kapahaka has allowed me to travel the world. It’s opened my eyes, it’s allowed me to become quite worldly,” he said.
“When they say te reo Māori and kapahaka won’t take you anywhere. It’s taken me all over the world.”
Through kapahaka Waititi has been able to attend one of Nelson Mandela’s birthdays in South Africa, and has travelled to Taiwan, the Pacific and Singapore.
Waititi also says he has used haka politically to stand up against racism in Parliament, referring to the time he was ejected from the house in 2021 for using haka to protest against an opposing party.
“I’ve used haka quite a lot through my three years in Parliament now. To get my messages across as I would on a marae.
With M9, Waititi plans to bring and share with audiences and other kaikōrero his kete of experience in how haka has helped him fight for mana motuhake (autonomy), rangatiratanga (authority) and self-determination.
Although the MP has a history of performing and standing strong in his views, in haka and Parliament, he says he still gets nervous.
“Nervous fits in that ihi, wehi and wana. It’s the ihi, wehi and wana that gets you through that.
“And that’s what you find inside of you to be able to perform. To be able to do the mahi that you do. Whether you’re going to war, getting up in the morning, finding a new job, going to school or pushing into spaces you may feel uncomfortable.
“That’s where the ihi, wehi and wana comes in. It’s the time when the light hits the horizon to get you on course.”
• Tickets for M9 are available now – go to Ticketmaster for more details.
