Te Whanaketanga 2007 In the Polynesian Cultural Center’s eighth annual Maori whakataetae ("competition") and the first in its new Te Whanaketanga ("developmental education") format of youth performing one year and adults in alternating years, the tamariki or children competed in the Pacific Theater on Saturday, October 13, in two categories: juniors, ages 6-12; and intermediate, ages 13-18.

There was also a Laie, Hawaii-based Te Hamata "babies" group, consisting of children up to age 5, who performed first in exhibition only; and following the tamariki competition, as part of the new Te Whanaketanga format, two adult male groups participated in Haka Hard, and two adult female groups in Poi E!

Uncle Colin Karewa Shelford, recently retired rangatira or "chief" of the PCC's Maori village, started the morning off with a bi-lingual prayer in Maori and English. Seamus Fitzgerald, a former PCC Maori cultural ambassador who is currently working on a doctorate degree in New Zealand who also spoke sometimes in Maori, and Delsa Moe, the Cultural Center's Vice President of Cultural Presentations, acted as emcees.

They introduced this year's judges, and explained that the young performers would be evaluated in the non-aggregate categories of kakahu or attire; waiata hou or original song compositions; manukura wahine, female leaders; and manukura tane, male leaders. Additionally, each group was judged in aggregate on whakaeke or entrance; moteatea, traditional chanting; waiata-a-ringa or action songs; poi and haka; and their whakawatea, or exit.

This year the overall first prize in the intermediate category went to Te Roopu o Tumanako, the Laie-based group lead by Sheena Alaiasa; and Te Manawa ‘O Atooi, a group from the island of Kauai, won the overall first prize in the junior category. For the complete 2007 results... All the tamariki were especially cute . . . and very talented. For a complete list of the 2007 participants...

In keeping with the new Te Whanaketanga theme, Fitzgerald shared a Maori proverb: "The old men have come to fight, and the new leaders have gone fishing . . . as I look at all the young children as they come on here, they're the hands of our future."

Fitzgerald explained that PCC Director of Cultural Islands Pulefano Galea'i inspired him years ago to start the Maori cultural arts special event, based on the success of the Cultural Center’s Samoan World Fire Knife Dance Competition. He added it's also inspired by the national kapa haka competition held every two years in New Zealand that "keeps the culture strong."

In this regard the Te Manawa 'O Atooi group from Kauai, that won the junior competition, surprised many in the audience with their powerful performance and beautiful costuming.

Hone Bailey, an elementary education major at BYU-Hawaii from New Zealand and one of the Maori cultural tutors from the Polynesian Cultural Center who has been traveling to Kauai to work with the group, said the experience "turned out great. I love these kids. They're like my family. I've shared a few things with them, and they've shared a lot with me. I'm very proud of them. There are no Maoris in the group."

"Just from my own experience teaching these non-Maori students here in Hawaii, they're really hungry to learn about other cultures. It also helps with their own identity, and I've really seen a change in them," Bailey said, "and I'm sure they've felt it, too."

Nicola Pere, a New Zealand Maori now living in Laie with three children and a grandchild performing in Te Whanaketanga, thought the entire program was awesome. It's great for our children who are actually New Zealand-born and can come here to Hawaii and still learn their language and culture...and it's not just Maori people." She added that her children know their parents love Maori culture. "It's a part of who they are."

Charlene Shelford Lum, a Maori who has lived in Hawaii for many years, expressed similar sentiments: "It's been wonderful to see the young people embrace the Maori culture." Lum, a former PCC performer and instructor, also helped prepare the Kahurangi group from Kahuku High School in their first-ever appearance. "I was happy for them, because she [Marsie Mo'o] did things with them that we haven't seen for a long time."

Following the awards ceremony, two Samoan brothers from New Zealand, who comprise the popular Adeaze duet "down under," presented a special concert in the Pacific Theater. Vendors with unique Maori-themed merchandise were also part of the celebrations.

In a word, Te Whanaketanga is a winner. Don't miss the next one.

— Mike Foley, PCC alumnus and editor

Whakataetae 2006

In a fantastic display of Maori kapa haka, or tradition songs and dances, Te Hokioi — a group comprised of Polynesian Cultural Center employees, alumni, Maori and other Polynesians from the surrounding community led by former PCC Maori cultural ambassador Seamus Fitzgerald — swept every first place award in the 2006 seventh annual Whakataetae Festival.

Te Roopu Ratapu, comprised of Maori and other Polynesians primarily from Honolulu and led by Hawaka Jeremiah and his mother, long-time PCC Maori cultural expert Aunty Valetta Jeremiah, took second place. Ngati Hiona, a group led by PCC alum David Atkinson and based primarily in Salt Lake City, Utah, but with members from throughout the western U.S., took third place. For all the results...

In reality, however, everyone was a winner — the performers and the audience — because of the wonderful opportunity to participate in a rich feast of Maori culture. For example, though they were competitors, the three groups and even Maori members of the audience jumped up and welcomed each group in turn with stirring chants and actions as they took the stage . . . and at the end, the judges and others likewise demonstrated their own impromptu appreciation in honor of all the winners.

It was incredible, fun and enriching; and you could see some of the performers on stage were moved to tears, while others swelled with pride, in appreciation for their Maori heritage.

Tane Kaka — a former PCC student worker and fulltime employee who is the son of PCC's own "Uncle" George Kaka, and who has a daughter and son-in-law dancing with Te Hokioi — said he enjoyed "feeling the wairua [spirit] of the culture and seeing my people perform our beloved dances.

Aunty Nikki Kereama Wallace, a PCC Maori cultural expert, said she also "thoroughly enjoyed all that happened, especially the spirit, the wairua. The overall quality of the performances was awesome."

Lani Mauga, a former PCC dancer and Maori member of Ngati Hiona now living Taylorsville, Utah, said it was "amazing to find out there was a group [in Salt Lake City]...who welcomed me. It was just like being welcomed home, and I love it."

Arapata Meha, Associate Dean of Admissions at BYU-Hawaii, a former music teacher, and a Maori who helped emcee this year's Whakataetae, said, "The singing was superb, especially the harmony and the ability of the women to carry the melody. There was a beautiful choral sound to the musical performances. It was tremendous from all the groups."

"The standards of performance are very high here, and all of the groups put in major efforts to prepare for the competition. The cohesiveness of the groups was very apparent, and it was a great experience to watch it," he added.

"The true value of the Whakataetae is to bring people together and give all Maori and non-Maori the opportunity to celebrate our cultural traditions. This is a wonderful venue to do that, and I hope we continue this tradition we've established in Laie."

Donna M. Grant, who made her first trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center as a Whakataetae judge, said she was "wonderfully surprised" with the experience. "It's a wonderful venue, it's a wonderful learning place, it was a wonderful occasion, and I was really, really pleased."

She added she was "very pleased to see the other islanders taking part, because it's a growing and sharing experience."

"Back home this [kapa haka] is a major feature every two years as a national competition. People work hard for at least nine months to a year in preparation for this big occasion," she said. "Your winning group would be able to stand on the stage [there] with great pride, and be proud of their achievements. That was one of the most pleasant surprises for me."

Whakataetae 2005

The PCC's sixth annual 2005 Maori Whakataetae Festival was a rich feast of traditional songs, dances, ceremonies, reunion, fun, and an incredible senior division competition that featured several of the finest Maori performing groups this side of New Zealand.

The festival opened Friday, August 5, with  powhiri and wero welcoming ceremonies for the judges, members of Te Arohanui Maori reunion group from New Zealand; and the competitors from Oahu and Kauai.

The Te Reo Maori speech competition followed in the Whare Runanga (meeting house), and then everyone went to the Kai-Hakari (dinner celebrations) at the Hale Ohana. The program included:

• Music by the Kaka family band
• A traditional and contemporary Maori fashion show
• A video presentation and performance from Te Arohanui Maori group

Saturday morning, August 6, activities in the Pacific Theater included:

• Te Arohanui Maori group
• Juniors division competition
• Intermission
• Seniors division competition
• Mau Taiaha (fighting lance martial arts) graduation, with Paora Sharples
• Exhibition performance by Te Here A Maui
• Prize ceremony

In the end, as with many great competitions, the difference in quality and versatility between the champions and runners-up came down to a very slim margin, with Te Wananga Maori o Hawaii — led by Tama Halvorsen and Shannon Niania Galea'i — recapturing first place from Te Hokioi, led by Seamus Fitzgerald. Te Wananga Maori, the 2003 champions, lost first place to Te Hokioi in 2004.

Another smaller group, Ngati Hiona from Utah — led by former Polynesian Cultural Center alumnus David Atkinson — rounded out the senior division competition. That group has historical ties leading back to the many missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who served in New Zealand, learning the Maori language and culture while there. Ngati Hiona is also part of a movement to build a traditional Maori marae or meeting place in Utah.

Three Junior Division groups comprised of youth up to age 13, also competed on August 6, with Te Ropu o Tumanako — led by Sheena Alaiasa — repeating as this year's first place winner. See all the results...

Both the first and second-place senior division groups are predominately comprised of current and former Polynesian Cultural Center employees, BYU-Hawaii students, and members of the surrounding communities who are interested in Maori culture. Some are part-Maori or have ties to New Zealand, others are of various Polynesian extraction, but not all of them.

For example, Halvorsen is part-Hawaiian, and one member of his group is a Filipino who in addition to his performing skills spoke eloquently enough in te reo or the Maori language to capture third place in the speech contest on August 5.

For the second year in a row, judges agreed the skill of the two predominant groups is comparable to that seen in Te Matatini — New Zealand's national biannual kapa haka or traditional Maori song and dance competition.

Chief 2005 Whakataetae judge Paora Sharples, who is widely respected and a member of the group Te Roopu Manutake, said of this year's competition, "This is my first time judging here, and I think the caliber is awesome." He added that all of the 2005 judges "decided it was a good idea" for the Whakataetae winner to compete in New Zealand, and that they would make that recommendation to Te Matatini organizers.

Another judge, Kim Makekau, a former Maori cultural lead at the Polynesian Cultural Center originally from Maui who now lives in Tokoroa, New Zealand, described the two bigger groups as "neck-a-neck. That's a reflection of not only their commitment, but their joy in doing it. And the thing is, they're all students, community, and family. I'm very much excited about where they're at."

His wife, Rahira Makekau, a championship kapa haka performer, added that "both those groups are worthy to stand at a national level at home. They truly are, and it shall happen."

She also said she was "particularly touched by Ngati Hiona [the smaller group from Utah]. They came, regardless of their numbers...and they were just an inspiration to all of us."

Te Aroha Nui returns for the first time: Another fascinating aspect of the PCC's 2005 Whakataetae Festival was the first-ever return as a group of surviving members of Te Aroha Nui Maori Company.

In 1963, 148 labor missionary volunteers from New Zealand formed Te Aroha Nui to come to Hawaii to help put the finishing touches on the soon-to-open Polynesian Cultural Center. As the largest group at that time, they dominated the PCC's first-ever night show. They also performed in California and Utah during their six-week tour.

Hoki Tucker, one of the Te Aroha Nui group leaders, said they all felt "extremely emotional" over this return, because many of those who originally performed in 1963 have since lost their partners.

"But the memories of yesteryear and seeing what the PCC looks like today is worth everything we did. It was worth it in the beginning. It was extra special to be a part of that group."

She added for most of the 48 survivors this is their first time to return to the Polynesian Cultural Center since it opened 42 years ago.

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