Will a walk on the red carpet in Rotorua lead to a red-carpet appearance in Hollywood?
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
Tangata i akona ki te kāinga, tūngia ki te ātea nui, tau ana
Tērā ia te pātai kai te kohamo o te tangata, kia takahia te whāriki kura i Rotorua nei e ngā rangatira ka takahia pea e tātau te whāriki kura ki Hollywood?
Kia wawe kē tātau te nanao atu ki a Taika Waititi me te whakamōhio i a ia kua hua kē ngā whetū tārake hou o te pouaka whakaata nui, kai kōnei kai ngā wai koropupū o Te Waiariki. Kāti ko wai mā ēnei whetū pīataata?
Tēnā he whakamihi nāku ki a Hemi Ariki Tangimoana Te Mahau George (15) me tona taina ki a Te Kahurangi Mikaere Te Aokawhai Takarawhira George (13).
Koia wēnei ngā toa hou o te whakakitenga pouaka whakaata ko Kairākau.He hōtaka e kawe ana i ngā tātai kōrero ā ngā rangatira onamata. Nō te Hepetema nō te rua tekau mā tahi whakarewa ai te hōtaka hou ki te whare rangatira o Tā Hauata Morihana. Ko Te Aokapuarangi te kaupapa. Ko Hemi rāua ko Te Kahurangi ngā tamaiti tāne ā tēnei wahine rangatira ko Te Ao kapurangi. Ka noho tātau ki te uiui i a rāua mō tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira.
Ko ngā akoranga katoa he mea heke iho i tō rāua mātua tāne i a Brook George, he mātanga mau taiaha. He toa horopū.
‘Ehara i a au te tangata porohīanga; he tangata tū ātāmira kē ahau. Māua tahi ko taku taiaha.He wā uaua hoki, he tino mārō hoki taku matua tāne, he whakapau kaha nōku he ahakoa e porohīanga haere ana ōku hoa, kai tahaki kē ahau e whakangungu mau taiaha ana.
“Ka pakeketia haeretia e ahau kātahi nā ka mōhio pū taku whatumanawa ki te take i mārō ai ia.Ko te tikanga o te mau taiaha, ko te mātau o te tangata ki te kawe i ngā rākau whawhai a Tū ka oti, e tika hoki taku kawe i a ia (taku taiaha) he ahakoa mahi he ahakoa whakataetae’.
Ko te taha ki a Te Kahurangi kāore i pēneitia te kaha o tana ako.
“He mātanga ahau ki te kawe i ngā rākau a Tū, he ahakoa e titiro kē atu aku kanohi ki te huapae, ka riria au e taku matua tāne tā te mea ko taku hiahia he purei poitūkohu.
“Nā taku kitenga atu i a Hemi e pakari ana tana piu, ka rarata ai taku hiahia hai rite ki a ia. He uaua ki ahau nā runga i ngā kupu taumaha a taku matua tāne, hai tāna he waewae taumaha ōku. Ka whakapiri mai ko toku tuakana ki te kauawhiawhi i a au, nā reira taku kupu ki a tātau, ināianei he mōhio hoki nōku ki te pupuri taiaha.
“Kia tika kē tāku ki a tātau, ko te tino take i tahuri mai ahau ki te mau taiaha, kia noho tahi ai māua ko taku matua tāne me toku tuakana. Ko noho pū mātau ka noho tata mātau’.
Nā te mea he mātanga ēnei tokorua ki te pupuri taiaha i ngāwari ake ai te huarahi kia kuhu atu ai rāua ki Te Aokapurangi hōtaka nei.I te timatatanga kāore a Hemi-Ariki i rarata ai ki te kaupapa. ' E tika ana hoki, kāore au e rata ana ki te mahi, nā te kaha amuamu mai o taku tapeha tata ka whati taku puapua ka whakaae taku whatumanawa.
Ka timatatia taku ako tahi i a Koro Wetini nā wai rā ka huri pono taku wairua ki te kaupapa. Ko Tarakawateipu taku tangata i te hōtaka nei, koia te tamaiti mātāmua a Te Aokapurangi. I kaha tiakina ahau e te marea , ko te unu tiakarete wera kai reira te mihi nui engari tonu ko te noho tahi me ngā whetū ngangahu o te ao kapa haka anō hai tauira tika mōku.
Ko te whakapuaretanga hoki o taku ngakau ki te kaupapa i kakapa ai taku wairua i pakeke ai taku tuahangata ā kiriata.
He mōhio iti hoki nō Te Kahurangi me ka tika āna mahi i kōnei ka pūare anō pea ētehi tatau o te ao kiriata nei, nā, kai mua i a ia ētehi tatau e tioioi ana.
Hemi and Kahu on set of Kairākau.
' E titiro ana ahau ki te pae tawhiti kia rima ngā tau kai Amerika ahau e noho ana, e toru aku whāinga. Tuatahi he tuahangata noho kiriata, tuarua he tangata purei poitukohu, tuatoru he pou waiata he rangatira tuhi waiata .Ko Hihiko taku tuahangata i te kiri ata nei. Koia te whakapakanga a Te Aokapurangi.
“E noho tahi māua ko taku tuahangata ka roa au e whaiwhakaaro ana ki a ia me tana mahi nā wai ka hua ake te māramatanga he tangata rite nei ki a hau te momo’.
Ko Flavian Kingi te tāhūhū pakeke e kaha ai ēnei toa tokorua. Nō mai, nō mai, nō mai anō tōna aroha tuturu ki āna tētēkura.
' He mōhio tuturu nō tāua, ko tō māua matua wahine te pou tokomana o te whare, e tika ai ā māua kawenga mahi, e akiaki ana i a māua kia toa ngā mahi. He wahine kawe i a māua ki ngā whakaharatau me te kawe i a māua ki ngā kaupapa nui.Ko te whakatō hoki ki roto ki ō māua whatumanawa ko te mea nui ki a tātau te Māori he kanohi kitea.
Kāore ā māua kupu manawa kōrero e whae e mōhio ai te hunga pānui tō mana’. Ki te nanao atu tētehi ki a Taika ki a tika hoki te kawe i te rongo kōrero he toa hoki ēnei tokorua ki te whakakatakata tangata.’
Ko taku hiahia kia tu hai tangata kanikani, āe me te kuhu noa ki ngā kiriata hoki. Ko tetehi o aku moemoeā kia whakatinanahia e hau te tūnga o Kapene Amerika, engari ā Māori nei, kāua e noho toimaha koe i ngā makeretanga o te ao me he toa piki maunga koe e piki.
Ki ahau nei ko te ao e nohia nei e tatau he rite kaha ki te pepa wherū; māu e pupuri te māhuetanga iho ā ene rānei kai te huarahi koe e pīrori haere ana’.
Ki te wahatieke o te ao kiriata o te tokorua nei te mana whakahirahira e ngangahu kau ana ko te mea nui ki ngā toa ko te Māoritanga. E whakahono ai ngā waewae ki te whenua ko te kawe tika i ngā ritenga onamata me te mōhiohio ki te mana o ngā tūpuna otīā o tātau ngā kanohi o te ao hou me te tohatoha me te whakaatu tika i ēnei hua nui ki te ao.
English Translation
Will a walk on the red carpet in Rotorua lead to a red carpet appearance in Hollywood?
We may just have to give Taika Waititi a call and let him know we’ve found his future stars right here in our very own backyard.
Hemi-Ariki Tangimoana Te Mahau George, 15, and his younger brother, Te Kahurangi Mikaere Te Aokawhai Takarawhira George, 13, are the newest cast members of the popular Māori series, Kairākau.
All three seasons’ date back to pre-colonialism and focus on the details, personal dynamics, emotional turns, and battles between different tribes. The latest instalment of the series, which premiered on September 21 at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre, follows the story of a well-known Te Arawa puhi, Te Aokapurangi.
Hemi and Te Kahurangi, of Tūwharetoa and Te Arawa decent, were cast as her sons.
The brothers shared their journey of being part of the crew, their learnings from home that have helped paved the way and their future aspirations. Both were taught the art of weaponry by their father, Brook George.
“I wasn’t really into sports; you will find me on a kapa haka stage with a rākau in my hand. It was hard at the time. Dad was hard on me, I had to train more than other kids but as I grew up, it made sense why dad was harder on me.
“The importance of learning maurākau was knowing how to use it, why it was used and then making sure I’m sharp for whakataetae (competition)”
For younger brother Te Kahurangi though, things were a little different.
“I am skilled in weaponry, but I never really had an interest in doing maurākau, I would make dad hōhā because I would rather play basketball. But seeing how good my brother was made me want to try. It was hard because my dad said my foot work was heavy.
“I did my best to learn and with my brother helping me as well, I can now say that I can be one with my rākau. To be honest, for me it was about doing something with my dad and brother. It brought us closer, and it was a just ‘us’ thing.”
Hemi-Ariki Tangimoana Te Mahau George and his younger brother, Te Kahurangi Mikaere Te Aokawhai Takarawhira George. Photo / Kingi whānau, Kairākau FB Page
The weaponry skills that the brothers acquired would ultimately be a pathway to being cast in the series. Hemi-Ariki expressed that initially, he was not enthusiastic about being part of filming.
“I actually had no interest in it at first, but my cousin really wanted me to do it and I didn’t want to let her down.
“Once I started training with Koro Wetini, I felt comfortable and started to like the idea of filming. I play Tarakawaiteipu, eldest son of Te Aokapurangi. A highlight for me was the vibe. Everyone looked after me, the hot chocolates were mean and being amongst kaihaka and good role models.
“What I learnt from being part of the Māori film industry is that it was real. I could feel the wairua while I was filming and that helped me play my character.”
Te Kahurangi had an idea that being part of this production could lead to more opportunities and he has quite a few doors that he wants to open.
“In five years I want to be living in America because I want to be an actor and a professional basketball player and a singer/songwriter. I knew that opportunities could come with an experience like filming.
“I play Hihiko, who is the youngest son of Te Aokapurangi. I felt like the role I played was similar to me and my relationship with my mum and brother.”
The boys’ mum, Flavian Kingi, has been the backbone for the brothers and their journeys so far.
“Our mum has been the real pou. Always making sure we get things done, encouraging us to strive for the highest peak. From dropping us off at practices and making sure we get to certain Kaupapa and reminding us of the importance of kanohi kitea.
“She is our biggest inspiration and always pushes us to the limit, with love, to succeed.”
If anyone does make that call to Taika to promote these boys, let him know that they don’t just have acting skills for serious production, but they would be able to pull off comedy too.
“I want to be a dancer and do more filming. If there was an opportunity, I would love to play Captain Māori in a Marvel film. Don’t let doubt get in the way of what you could achieve. Life is like toilet paper; you either take what ends up on it or you’re on a roll.”
While a life in the limelight may very well be on the cards for the George brothers, being Māori, having a connection to the land, holding on to Tikanga, knowing how strong Māori people are and sharing the culture with the world are aspects of their heritage that they will always carry with pride.
