Explosion of culture and aroha at Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival

Editor. Northland Age·Northern Advocate·

31 Mar, 2025 12:00 AM3 mins to read

Rangatahi perform at Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival.

An explosion of aroha, culture, kapa haka and celebration saw the best ever Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival, Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene reckons.

More than 5000 people from across the rohe attended the biennial three-day festival, held at Ōtiria Marae, near Moerewa, from Friday to Sunday.

The festival is described as “a celebration of all things Ngāti Hine” and Tipene said the weekend was a wonderful way of highlighting the iwi and its mahi and culture.

Powerful haka were the order of the weekend at Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival, in Ōtiria, as the tribe displayed and celebrated its culture.

“It was a really great weekend. To see our kuia and kaumatua, our parents and our rangatahi enjoying and celebrating their culture was just fantastic. It went really well, not only for our organising committee, but the thousands of people who came along to enjoy what Ngāti Hine is all about.”

Tipene said the invitation went out to all iwi and hapū to attend and it was encouraging to see so many non-Ngāti Hine attend.

There were smiles all round during the kapa haka performances at Ōtiria during the Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival.

“There’s this false belief out there that here in Tai Tokerau we are all divided, but [events like this] show that we are all supportive of each other and will celebrate our triumphs together.

“But that’s why we call it Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival. Reka means sweet, or pleasant, and there was just such a sweet and pleasant atmosphere throughout the weekend.”

Andrea Brown and Shona Faulkner were in the kitchen helping feed the masses at the festival last weekend.

On Sunday a big part of the festival was a tribute to Ngāti Hine stalwart and master kapa haka tutor Henare Mahanga.

Family and friends and those taught by Ngāti Hine kapa haka legend Henare Mahanga, including his wife Sharon, in red cardigan, after tributes to Mahanga.

Tipene said it was powerful to see so many of Mahanga’s whānau, including his wife Sharon, friends and former students attend the tribute.

He said Mahanga was an amazing man who had so much mana and respect, not only within Ngāti Hine, but throughout Māoridom with his kapa haka expertise.

“All those [students] had so much aroha and respect for Henare. He was a tough tutor, and they were bit scared of him, but they know that they needed to have that discipline to be good at kapa haka. And they showed that respect for him.”

The next generation enjoyed the festival at Ōtiria.

Probably the big drawcard of the weekend was the chance to see Northland’s top kapa haka groups, including some who recently competed at Te Matatini.

The event ended with a discussion panel involving MPs Grant McCallum (National, Northland), Marama Davidson (Green Party co-leader) Willow-Jean Prime (Labour list) and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Te Pāti Māori, Te Tai Tokerau).

MPs Grant McCallum, Marama Davidson, Willow-Jean Prime and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi taking part in the political panel debate at Ōtiria Marae, chaired by Far North Mayor Moko Tepania.

Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival started in 2008 and has been used as a vehicle to showcase, celebrate and preserve te reo and tikanga of Ngāti Hine. The kaupapa or theme for this festival is: “Ka kakati te namu”. This saying comes from Te Tangi a Kawiti, first uttered in the days immediately after the withdrawal from Te Ruapekapeka Pa on January 11, 1846.

It is said that while the defenders of Te Ruapekapeka, withdrew, were resting and convalescing at Pukepoto, a small hill in the area now known as Glenbervie, Kawiti gathered his loyal warriors and addressed them in the dawn of the early morning.

Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene and Ngatiwai leader and Green List MP Huhana Lyndon had great time at Te Āhuareka o Ngāti Hine Festival.

Over the years, the festival has attracted thousands of attendees with its lively, thought-provoking tautohetohe debates, kapa haka, kai, stage entertainment, mahi tuna, tamariki activities and art exhibitions.