26 Feb 2025
Te Taumata o Apanui are new kids on the block in the kapa haka scene, having been born in the last Mataatua regionals, just four weeks before taking the stage.
The newest of the three kapa representing Te Whānau a Apanui iwi, and the six kapa representing Mataatua rohe, tutor Rob Ruha says the group considers themselves to be a gathering of like-minded whānau of Te Whānau a Apanui who are passionate about their iwitanga and are mad on hakaz, and they’re excited to share it all at Te Matatini.
“Te Taumata o Apanui (affectionately known as the TOA) was established on a tono to enter a team in the Mataatua regional kapa haka competitions to meet the Te Matatini threshold that allows six teams from the rohe into the national comp. We have since used this new kapa as a vehicle for oranga, kotahitanga, ngā kaupapa whaimana a te Māori, Tiriti o Waitangi, …all the good stuff; and as a platform to take our Tino Rangatiratanga out for a spin.” Rob Ruha says.
Of course, being a new kapa means that everything is new, right down to the uniforms, an opportunity Te Taumata o Apanui was excited to meet with a very hands-on approach with the Kotahitanga project.
“It was pretty simple; we had no coin in the bank to buy any and two weavers who were keen to capitalize on an opportunity to revive the artform and interest for it inside the iwi. TOA needed piupiu and it was a no-brainer that we were to make them ourselves.”
The two weavers Rob mentioned are himself and his wife Cilla. The couple have been making piupiu for 25 years. Rob says they felt they had a responsibility to the artform to share their knowledge.
“Purchasing them was not even an option for all the reasons mentioned. Me te mea nei, he takahi hoki tērā i te mātauranga whatu piupiu i tukua iho mai ki a māua ko taku hoa e ngā pakeke. As weavers, we have a responsibility to the artform; to its relevance, its majesty and mātauranga. We are responsible for its survival among the next generation and we cannot do that if we are not creating inspirational pieces as our tīpuna did to inspire us,” Rob says.
The couple led the Kotahitanga project with a team of 44 ākonga working together to make 45 bespoke piupiu. This included 20 men’s mid-length piupiu and 20 women’s maxi piupiu to be worn on the stage at Te Matatini Ki te Kāhui Maunga 2025.
Each piupiu took over 100 hours each to make, and no two piupiu share the same design, with some even adorned with designs inspired by photos of whānau that performers like Darylene Rogers brought in.
“There is something truly beautiful about the unique characteristics and patterns of each iwi. I looked back at old whānau photos and found a picture of my nan wearing her piupiu. From that came the design of the piupiu I will wear at Te Matatini.” Darylene says.
Rob says that piupiu making and the art of raranga in general is in a critical state in Te Whānau a Apanui, and if there are no serious interventions, future generations will grow up with no living memory of these practices.
“The kaupapa of making our own piupiu was far greater than Te Matatini alone and beyond a transactional move like purchasing them. This was an opportunity for us to say, ’Hell no! Not on our watch!!’ We do not want to be associated with decisions that cause further harm to an artform that is only holding on by a thread.”
Darylene says she is grateful to have had the chance to bring back the practice of piupiu making to her whānau.
“Had the kapa decided to buy the piupiu, this art form would have been lost within me and my whānau. My grandmother, now passed, was a weaver of many forms, but apart from her, no one else in our extended whānau held that knowledge. So being the first one to pick it up again is a revival of tradition—something I vow to pass on.”
Rob says that the project was made more special by the fact that all their resources were locally sourced.
"We are lucky to have many pā-harakeke in the iwi with the variety suitable for piupiu. Kuku shells were sourced from the rocks at home and the meat was eaten at our wānanga piupiu. Whānau support in the kitchen as well as on the tools doing the hāro or tāki in the pā was a must. Paru was sourced from our whānau in Maketū while waitumu for the waiwai came from home.”
Like most who took part in the Kotahitanga project, Darylene says it was no easy task learning to make piupiu, but that eventually, you find the groove for it.
“When I was new to ‘haro’—scraping the whenu—I would scrape it to within an inch of its life. Fluffy bits poking out, over-scraping, scraping the wrong bits—it was really frustrating. But that’s part of the learning process, and eventually, I improved,” Darylene says.
“You reach a point where something just clicks. Suddenly, when you apply just the right pressure on the kuku shell and push it along the whenu at the perfect angle, something magical happens—the para just comes away. And once you ‘get it,’ it never leaves you. Your hands automatically know what to do.”
Darylene adds that when it comes to mahi piupiu, it’s important to keep your head in the game.
“Your frame of mind is important—if you're frustrated or angry, the whenu will reflect that. That’s when I take a break and have a cup of tea. But when you are tau, things flow much smoother. If I had to sum it up in one
This project was supported by Creative New Zealand under the Arts, organisations and groups fund 2024 for Ngā Toi Māori which funds groups in their artistic projects, something that Te Taumata o Apanui’s Te Kotahitanga project was perfect for. Practice Adviser for Ngā Toi Māori, Maraea Timutimu says a major reason Te Taumata o Apanui was granted the fund laid in the clarity of their vision for their marae, hapu and uri and the importance toi to who they are as a people.
“Their piupiu kaiako are their own, and so you immediately have a sense of ‘by Te Whanau a Pararaki, for Te Whanau a Pararaki, on Te Whanau a Pararaki’. The transmission of knowledge and succession of leaders within this artform is secure in this huge undertaking of the making of 40 bespoke piupiu.” Maraea says.
“We are also grateful to CNZ for supporting the revival and live exhibition of the taonga; showcasing what can be possible in this artform and inspiring new generations and entire whānau to elevate its importance as a necessary part of expressing our Apanuitanga,” Rob says.
The team is excited to take to the stage in their brand new piupiu and to keep piupiu making traditions alive within their iwi.
“Just that piupiu making is a dying art form, and I commend those who have been making the country's kapa haka their piupiu for years. But I think there’s a real need for a revival of this craft within all iwi and hapū. So, I urge everyone—anyone—to go and learn,” Darylene says.
“My biggest dream is for this project to inspire those at home in Te Whānau a Apanui and Te Tairāwhiti in general to continue the tradition and fearlessly champion the excitement of chasing boundless creative possibilities with this artform,” Rob says.
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