05 Mar 2025
Toi Aotearoa board members and Creative New Zealand staff were amongst the tens of thousands of people who witnessed the remarkable Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga Festival in Ngāmotu last week. It was a joyous, powerful, and uplifting experience that represents ongoing work by so many.
We acknowledge Te Matatini Chair Sir Herewini Parata and board, alongside Chief Executive Carl Ross and his kaimahi for their service leadership to Māori through the Te Matatini movement.
With majestic Taranaki maunga as the backdrop, hosts Te Kāhui Maunga representing the three waka - Tokomaru, Kurahaupo and Aotea – enveloped manuhiri with incredible manaakitanga and grace throughout the weeklong Festival.
Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa Chair Kent Gardner was at Te Matatini and said “What I see today is excellence and people and communities working together.”
Kura Moeahu (Te Kāhui Maunga Te Ātiawa, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Taranaki-tuturu and Ngāti Toa) co-chair Komiti Māori, Toi Aotearoa was humbled by the response to the event in his rohe.
“From the pōwhiri to the prize-giving – it was humbling to see the nation pay homage to Koro Taranaki, who has his own legal personality. The many songs that were composed that hau kāinga learnt about the many connections from the various regions to Koro Taranaki. We were so humbled to host the many people that took time out of their busy day and regions to visit our place and hope that you all enjoyed Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, Te Kāhui Tupua, Te Kāhui Wairua, takiri, takiri, takiri .... HAI,” Kura says.
Audiences see peak performance at Te Matatini; for performers and hosts, those moments are the culmination of months and years of work. Co-chair Kōmiti Māori Toi Aotearoa Puamiria Parata-Goodall (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha and Ngāti Kahungunu) reflected on what different kapa bring to the competition.
"For some groups, competing at Te Matatini is about bringing their best iwitanga to the stage, not necessarily wanting to win Te Matatini, but to win their people so they are practicing their own tikanga."
We congratulate all those who competed, and especially Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue from Te Arawa, winners of the Ngāpō Pimia Wehi Duncan MacIntyre trophy and the championship title of Te Matatini 2025.
The revitalisation of Māori artforms was evident all over the festival site as well as under the stage's mahau, which was carved by NZ Māori Arts & Crafts Institute. Creative New Zealand formed a two-year iwi investment partnership in 2023 with Te Tōpuni Ngarahū, which represents the eight iwi of Taranaki region for ‘Taku Poi He Manu Taku Ringa He Manu’ initiative. The partnership is focused on nurturing and sharing the skill, knowledge, and experience of Māori artists and arts practitioners across Taranaki in at-risk or endangered regional artforms.
In between performances, festival goers could visit the Toi Kāhui Maunga exhibition, which featured works from Māori artists of Taranaki curated by Waitara Artists Cooperative in association with Toi Māori Aotearoa.
Paula Carr (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngārauru, Te Atiawa), Senior Manager, Māori Strategy and Partnerships is also from Taranaki. She is excited by the outcome of the whole event and the iwi partnership.
“Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga Festival was an epic success. Two highlights for me were the pōwhiri and celebrating Ngā Purapura o Te Tai Hauāuru on stage with Aroha Broughton-Pue coming 1st equal Manukura Wahine, with Ōpotiki Mai Tawhiti. We couldn’t be more thrilled for Te Matatini organisers, for Te Kāhui Maunga as hosts, ngā iwi o Taranaki, and for those tohunga, mātanga, ringatoi, kura, marae and hapu who will benefit now and into the future. There is much to be valued and appreciated by our creative agency from working at regional level with hapu and iwi and our toi communities, particularly as we refresh our national strategy for ngā toi Māori from 1 July 2025,” Paula says.
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