Te Whare Tapere to Kapa Haka and Māori Concert Party – Part 1

Kia kawea tātou e te rēhia : Let us be taken by joy and entertainment

The story of kapa haka is a tale of many milestones, developments, and progressions. These are neatly summarized in Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand’s entry on Kapa Haka, where “Kapa” is described as a row of “performers” and kapa haka is acknowledged as both an ancient and a living art form.

A first example of kapa haka occurs in the pūrākau of Tinirau and Kae:

In the 19th century

This article, “19th-century kapa haka” – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, describes kapa haka in the 1800s.

Concert groups (for tourism) were performing to audiences – especially at Rotorua. The kaupapa were delivered in te reo but the underlying melodies were European – thought to be more attractive to tourists who did not always warm to traditional mōteatea.

Māori concert parties made early trips abroad – Dr McGauran’s troup travelled to Sydney and Melbourne in 1862 and then to the United Kingdom the following year.

Traditional Māori ceremonies were always part of the welcome to Royal visitors — for Prince Albert in 1869, and later for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953-4.

In the 20th Century

Mākereti Papakura’s group toured Australia and United Kingdom, in 1910-1911:

Te Puea Hērangi’s troupe, Te Pou o Mangatāwhiri toured the North Island from 1922, funding the building of Tūrangawaewae:

Te Puea formed a group named Te Pou o Mangatāwhiri. Its name commemorates the pou (post) erected by the Kīngitanga at Mangatāwhiri beyond which Pākehā were not to acquire land or authority, an injunction they ignored. Te Pou o Mangatāwhiri set out to raise the hundreds of pounds needed for the carved house by performing in halls and theatres throughout the North Island. Te Puea kept morale high on the tours, gathering the young people together to tell them stories and share her hopes with them, joking, jumping to her feet to show them how to improve their haka, how to pūkana

Te Puea : A life, by Michael King
Te Puea : a life / King, Michael (Also available as an eBook)

Apirana Ngata was a huge supporter of kapa haka as fundraisers for his Māori Soldiers’ fund. He also began, in 1929, to collect waiata for his Ngā moteatea volumes:

Ngā mōteatea : he maramara rere nō ngā waka maha / Apirana Turupa Ngata

“This classic text on Maori culture collects indigenous New Zealand songs recorded over a period of 40 years by a respected Maori leader and distinguished scholar. The essence of Maori culture and its musical tradition is exhibited in the original song texts, translations, audio CDs, and notes from contemporary scholars featured in this new edition.” (Catalogue)

Apirana Turupa Ngata leading a haka at the 1940 centennial celebrations at Waitangi. The meeting house, Waitangi House, is on the left:

Apirana Turupa Ngata leading a haka at the 1940 centennial celebrations, Waitangi
‘Apirana Turupa Ngata leading a haka at the 1940 centennial celebrations, Waitangi.’ Making New Zealand : Negatives and prints from the Making New Zealand Centennial collection. Ref: MNZ-2746-1/2-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23012205

Read more:

Apirana Ngata : e tipu e rea / King, Michael
“A well-illustrated biography of Ngata, aimed at school students.” (Summary from Wheelers)

He tipua : the life and times of Sir Apirana Ngata / Walker, R. J.
“A biography of Maori leader, Sir Apirana Ngata. It describes in detail the huge impact Ngata had on the social, cultural, economic and political landscape of New Zealand and how he created a new path of reconciliation between Maori and Pakeha and helped build an enduring Maori recovery.” (Catalogue)

Paraire Tomoana and E Pari Rā:

In the First World War Paraire Tomoana put his musical ability to patriotic use. He was in his 40s, too old and too valuable at home to go to war. Instead, he threw his energies into Ngata’s scheme of raising funds to invest for the benefit of the Māori soldiers who returned, and the children of those who did not. By June 1917 he had organised a song and dance group that gave performances to raise money for the Māori Soldiers’ Fund. The members would prepare songs for soldiers’ camps, for those at home, for battlegrounds, for work and for mourning.

Te Karere clip description for the above (from 2015):

An old war-time song written by Paraire Tomoana nearly a hundred years ago is set to be revived on the other side of the world this ANZAC. More than 200 New Zealanders are learning the song and actions to E Pari Rā to perform it in a mass waiata for this year’s ANZAC Day dawn ceremony in London.”

Pōkarekare ana, Ngāti Kahungunu, 2015 Kaumātua Kapa Haka Festival:

Petihana Reo Māori 50th Anniversary: Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2022

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Māori Language petition, Te Petihana, to Parliament. As Te Taura Whiri, the Māori Language Commission, explains:

“For most of the 20th century the New Zealand government discouraged, banned and made it socially unacceptable to openly speak te reo Māori. 50 years ago, Māori language champions calling for te reo to be taught in schools presented the Māori Language Petition to parliament. The petition carried the signatures of more than 30,000 New Zealanders.

That day – 14 September 1972 – became Māori Language Day which eventually expanded to what we know as Māori Language Week. Their peaceful protest also led to the successful WAI11 Māori Language claim to the Waitangi Tribunal and the enactment of the Māori Language Act 1987. The Act recognised te reo as an official language of our country …”

This year Māori Language Week runs from Monday 12 September – Sunday 18 September. There will be a special event at Parliament from 11:30am – 1pm on 14 September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the petition. You can find out more about this event, and how to watch it, on the ReoMāori site. There will also be other events happening around Wellington so check them out and support te reo and its revitalisation.

Visit ReoMāori to find resources to support te reo Māori in the workplace, home, and community and learn more about the history of te reo and Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori at NZ History.

Start or continue your te reo journey with these items from our collection:

Māori made easy : for everyday learners of the Māori language / Morrison, Scotty
“Fun, user-friendly, and relevant to modern readers, Scotty Morrison’s Maori Made Easy is the one one-stop resource for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Maori language. While dictionaries list words and their definitions, and other language guides offer common phrases, Maori Made Easy connects the dots, allowing the reader to take control of their learning in an empowering way. By committing just 30 minutes a day for 30 weeks, learners will adopt the language easily and as best suits their busy lives. Written by te reo Maori advocate Scotty Morrison, this book proves that learning the language can be fun, effective–and easy” (Catalogue)

A Māori word a day : 365 words to kickstart your reo / Kelly, Hēmi
“A Māori dictionary for all New Zealanders. Through its 365 Māori words, you will learn the following: English translations; word category, notes and background information; Sample sentences, in both te reo Māori and English”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

 

Let’s learn Maori : a guide to the study of the Maori language / Biggs, Bruce
“”Let’s Learn Maori was designed by Maori language expert Bruce Biggs in 1969. He covers the parts of speech, the structure of each type of phrase, and the combinations of phrases that form simple sentences. Each aspect of the grammar is discussed in a numbered section or subsection and illustrated by sentence examples. A combined vocabulary and index provides an ingenious and convenient reference system. There is also a section on pronunciation, but the student is warned that a written explanation is no substitute for the actual sounds spoken by native speakers of the language.”–BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved” (Catalogue)

Mai i te kākano / Jacob, Hēni
“Do you feel like your Maori language proficiency has plateaued? Are you looking for alternative, more Maori, more fun ways to say things in everyday situations? Do you have trouble sustaining lively and meaningful conversations with your kids and grandchildren, your friends and colleagues? Written entirely in Maori (excpt for some Maori to English translations at the bottom of some pages), this book includes sections on Maori idiom and metaphor, common errors, and examples of language in use in a variety of settings, including the home, at the supermarket , at the beach and on the sports field. It provides a unique, “more Maori”, more fun way to say things in everyday situations.” (Catalogue)

A Māori phrase a day : 365 phrases to kickstart your reo / Kelly, Hēmi
“A Maori Phrase a Day offers a fun and easy entry into the Maori language. Through its 365 phrases, you will learn the following: – Everyday uses – English translations – Factoids – Handy word lists Presenting the most common, relevant and useful phrases today, A Maori Phrase a Day is the perfect way to kickstart your te reo journey!” (Catalogue)