March 03, 2015
Kapa haka spirit worth bottling
Te Matatini starts in Christchurch tomorrow, and the Education Ministry will be one of the agencies using the huge gathering of Maori to get their messages out.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says it’s a festival her ministry is happy to put money into because of the positive effects it sees from the Maori performing arts.
"I’ve often said is if we could bottle all the energy and enthusiasm, disciplne and application that young people exhibit when they participate in kapa haka, and apply it to their educational pathway, we would be world-beaters. It is just such an example of the abilities and capabilities of young Maori students," she says.
Ms Parata says she will be looking out for the performances of East Coast teams Waihirere and Te Aitanga a Hauiti, because she has nieces in those kapa haka.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH HEKIA PARATA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjY3OTA=
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