Te Matatini funding boost is also a big boost for new generation of kapa kids

$32 million was given to Te Matatini in this year’s Budget. Photo / Te Ao

Labour MP Kelvin Davis says seeing nieces and nephews from his old school Kawakawa Primary competing at Te Mana Kuratahi brought tears to his eyes.

Davis - the Te Tai Tokerau MP - says kura had been helped to the primary schools kapa haka competition in Nelson with some of the $32 million putea given to Te Matatini in this year’s Budget.

He says it was money well spent needs to be continued.

Kelvin Davis. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“One of the things I was saying as Associate Minister of Education, what is matauranga? Yes, we want kids to read and write but maybe we have started to the corner and started to value what matauranga and what is learning in a Māori context.”

The national primary schools kapa haka competition in Nelson ends tomorrow.

Meanwhile, while Davis is waiting for the special votes, due to be finalised on Friday to confirm or deny his victory in the northern Māori electorate, he is happily spending time with the latest addition to the whānau - mokopuna Nia.

Davis said Nia’s birth, a few days after the election on October 14, reminded him of why he got into politics.

“I’ve always said when my tūpuna Pomare signed Te Tiriti I’m guessing he did it in the hope Aotearoa would be a better place for his uri and the work I’m doing in Parliament I hope it makes Nia’s world a better world for her, so it’s a continuation of that whakapapa helping our future whakapapa.”

Davis has a 487 election night majority over Te Pāti Māori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

Waatea.News.Com