Taiamai Tours Blog
EXCLUSIVE NEW MAORI CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FOR WAITANGI DAY 2011
Submitted by hone on Tue, 09/03/2010 - 12:47pm
Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of “TE TIRITI O WAITANGI in 1840. In that year, representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs signed what is New Zealand’s founding document. The day was first officially commemorated in 1934, and it has been a public holiday since 1974.
For some people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Maori, it is the occasion for reflecting on the Treaty. Since the 1970s the style and mood of the commemorations on Waitangi Day have been influenced by the increasingly heated debate surrounding the place of the Treaty in modern New Zealand.
Waitangi Day is recognized as New Zealand's national day, however the long-standing tensions associated with it are always likely to surface in one form or another. The date is an important marker in the country's history. Recognition of the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi as the nation's founding document will continue to encourage leaders, communities and individuals to mark the day in new ways.
This year marks the 171st year since the signing. As in previous years Maori tribes including their sacred Waka will converge in their thousands upon the Bay of Islands to commemorate the national day of New Zealand. Maori chiefs and tribal groups will be bringing their celebrated Waka of all shapes and sizes to Waitangi and for 2 weeks the Bay of Islands will be abuzz with activities. With an average attendance of 30.000 Maori annually the celebrations are a unique and spiritual occasion for all those who attend New Zealand’s most significant and historical national day.
You are invited by prominent local Ngapuhi Rangatira of the Ngati Hineira and Te Uri Taniwha hapu Hone Mihaka to join him and his family leading up to this day and to be part of these celebrations from a totally non commercial Maori side of the fence. Stay approx nights and 5 days living on a Marae alongside the Mihaka family immersed in the real world of the Maori and more specifically Ngapuhi tribal culture. You will be introduced to a unique world filled with andcient spirituality and family tribal traditional customs. You will be taught the way of the Ngapuhi while learning ancient chants, customs and traditions. Be immersed in all aspects of Daily Maori life in preparation for this exclusive event. Meet with the locals the tribal elders, women and children. Learn the traditions and customs of Waka
(Traditional Maori Canoe)
For 3 Days you will learn along side others the significance of our Maori canoe with hands on preparation resulting in being a part of the fleet of Waka that will be present on Waitangi Day. Yes you will be paddling a traditional Maori canoe and will be a part of the Maori waka fleet on the day.
Never before has there been an opportunity such as this offered to the history of New Zealand Tourism. This will indeed be an exclusive opportunity for 34 people only privileged enough to participate in an event that goes beyond the boundaries of normal Tourism product. Be prepared for a life changing event.
For Further inquiries please contact
Waitangi day 2010
Submitted by hone on Tue, 09/02/2010 - 4:55pm
Waka Wananga for Mihaka family
4 weeks ago I thought I would send out a call for my family Mihaka to return homw to our local Marae for a Waka Wananga. Learn traditional Maori canoe customs and traditions leading up to New Zealands national day Waitangi. The plan was to celebrate the 70th year since the launching of the Ngapuhi Waka taua Nga Tokimatawhaorua. What a fantastic event this turned out to be. My family came from all over New Zealand and we ended up with nearly 40 of us including freinds paddling our double hull Taiamai Waka "Mahanga" on the 6th of Feb. You can view us practicing our Waka manouvres on YOUTUBE at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nLEHoPYPQI
Benefits
One of the benefits of this 4 Day Waka Wananga was that it brought members of my family together for a reason other than a Tangi or unveiling. We came together to learn about each other, to learn from each other and more importantly to explore the opportunity of our family perhaps getting together more often to reconnect broken family links from over 100 years of fragmentation caused by colonization and the urban migration to the cities in search of a better future. All of the family were absolutely blown away with the teachings and learnings they learnt during the weekend wananga. For some of our family it was a first time experience on the Marae with customs, traditions, histories, geneologies, waiata, haka and chants learnt through out the Wananga.
Waitangi Day
It was fantastic to see the 4 gnerations of Mihaka family on the Waka on Waitangi day. There we were out amongst all the Waka Taua of Northland with both Ngatokimatawhaorua Waka and a flotilla of other Waka also participating. All in all there were somewhere up to 20 + Waka involved in the Waitangi day event. For all of my family this was the a life changing experience and something never to be forgotten, always remembered.
Next Waitangi 2010
As a result of this Wananga our family are now setting up a family trust and we are looking at having up to 3 more weekend long Wananga this year so we can learn more waiata, haka, Waka tikanga and basically for whanaungatanga. We are using the Waka to bring and pull our family together and what a great kaupapa it is. Our plan at the next Waka wananga is to hoe the Kerikeri inlet and estuaries.
Special Thanks.
A special thanks goes out to Vinnie Ibanez of the Pechanga tribe from Los Angeles for being there. To Billy Tangaere of www.tewero.com for his imput and keeping the family full of laughter through out the wananga and also for his super efforts in supporting the Kaupapa. Orsum Billy, Nga mihi kia koe e kara. Mehe mea ka tutahi taki te kakaka re whe ka whati, mehemea ka whakapupungia, e kore e whati. A huge thanks to all the other whanau members who supported this Kaupapa whakahirahira. Mauri ora! I will always be grateful to my Waka, Mahanga, Te Arawai and of course my double hull Waka "Mahanga" for the contribution and power they have exhibited in pulling my family together. Nga Mihi kia koutou e nga Waka. Ko koutou i whakapiri, e whakakotahi nei toku whanau Mihaka. Tena koutou mo tenei huarahi e whakaritengia e koutou mo toku hapu mo toku whanau. E kore e waikurangia te mahara mo tou mahi tu whakahirahira. Mauri ora. The photo here was taken when my whanau were coming in to Maire Tahi to land on its beach and perform Haka. Orsummmmmm........
Visiually impaired group on Te Hoenga Waka!
Submitted by hone on Tue, 22/12/2009 - 10:05am
CAN WE DO IT?
Yesterday we had our very first group of visually impaired customers aboard our Waka Voyage "TE HOENGA WAKA" All I can say is that they reckon the Waka voyage was the best experience they had while in New Zealand. The key message being the experience.
Regardless of thier disablement they were able to listen to stories of the ancestors and landscapes. On one part of the Journey we stopped along the river where they could listen to all the varieties of birds, they could hear the Kanae (grey Mullet) splashing as they re-entered the water after their trademark leaping. We could hear the Tui calling wanting to talk to us while the song of the Pipiwhrauroa (shining cuckoo) singing in the background. We sat in silence on one part of the river where I told them it was called Haruru wairere which means rumbling or thunderous waters. I didnt need to give them the explanation of why it is called such a name as they worked it out for themselves when they could hear the cascading waters of the Haruru waterfalls in the distance then a few later we were right beneath the falls (see image) these things are only a small portion of what really did take place during the Tour yesterday. As a gesture of honor we decided to take them to our Marae where my family were waiting to meet them. Our (Maori) marae is only accessible by water and the Waka is the only vessel which we will permit to take visitors to our Marae. They were blown away by the sound of the challenge, the sounds of the traditional instruments, the calling of the Karanga, then to be taken into our small family meeting house with a dirt floor and palm leaf roof for a whakatau (speeches of welcome etc...) We made it clear to them that they had not purchased this part of thier Waka voyage and that this was only happening because we had chosen to take them to our Marae and not becasue they had purchased a Marae experience or Maori welcome. We told them that this part of the voyage was our gift to them, our way of honoring them for choosing to come and meet with us despite all the signpost pointing to other well known tourism activities. They knew right off it was something special when we told them they were experiencing our customs and traditions because we have chosen to share these with them as opposed to being obligated to do so due to them purchasing a Maori welcome. We told them that the Whakatau is given from the heart and not because it can be purchased at a visitor center or Isite and that if they wanted to buy a Maori welcome they can do so at many of the well known theme parks and MAori shows in New Zealand however on this tour thier money had paid for a seat on a Maori canoe and a 2-3 hour voyage with a couple of Maori story tellers. The whakatau or Traditional Maori Powhiri as referred to by most in the industry are our customs and these are not for sale. You know what? despite being blind I feel these people actually saw more and understood more than many who have no impairments at all so it was indeed an interesting experience and special journey for all of us.
THE EXPERIENCE
The Taiamai Family absolutely enjoyed this voyage for it showed us once again that our Tourism product is not about the Waka, the Marae, the river or the Bay of Islands and dare I say it isnt even about New Zealand. These people will not be able to take home with them, photographs of wonderful scenery and landscapes. pictures of majestic rugged snow capped mountains or crystal lakes and oceans however they will be able to take back to the USA with them visions of the people, and the culture, the spiritual experiences they had one day when they came to the Bay of Islands in Northland New Zealand and met with the people of Taiamai Tours of the tribe known as Ngapuhi!!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank Des Harris of Indigenous Trails and his support team from Te Renga Paraoa Tours in Whangarei for providing not only Taiamai but also the group of visually impaired from the USA for the wonderful and spiritual experience and cultural exchange enjoyed by us all who participated yesterday.
Thank you
Hone
Testimonials
From: Jill Hoar [mailto:jill@anzcro.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 16 February 2010 6:53 p.m.
To: 'Waka Taia-mai Heritage Journeys'
Cc: nineke; Sharmila Patel
Subject: Big thank you
Dear Hone
Thank you so much for a wonderful trip on your waka. It was far better than I had imagined possible. I loved your sense of humour and your very professional reenactment. As I mentioned I feel that you offer one of the few really authentic Maori experiences in NZ and while all stories are open to interpretation I felt that you did an excellent job portraying NZ’s early history. I was amazed to see how moved my husband was by the visit to your home pa, as were the English couple. Thanks again for a very memorable trip.
Kind regards
Jill Hoar
Product Manager
ANZCRO
PO Box 1291
Southport, QLD 4215
DDI: (07)-5556-5554
Fax: (07)-5591-5636