July 05, 2019
Iwi manaaki needed for successful Matatini
Te Matatini is looking for ways to involve Māori businesses in the national kapa haka competition when it's held at Auckland's Eden Park in early 2021.
Chief executive Carl Ross says planning is well advanced, with the current focus on supporting the 13 regional competitions that will deliver the final 40 or so teams for the finals.
The organisation is working with Auckland Council, which has delegated senior Māori executive Amokura Panoho to oversee its side of the operation.
Mr Ross says it's also counting on tribal support, such as gifts of kai to the Wellington event this year.
"We had our iwi from Wharekauri, the Chatham Islands, come together and provide half a tonne of crayfish, 1000 paua, 200kg of kina, to be able to support out kaumātua and kuia. That's open again, they've said they'd like to support us again. This is the type of example of manaaki from iwi we're looking for and what makes the festival fantastic," he says.
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