School Maori festival draws good crowd

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 615, 5 December 1995, Page 3

School Maori festival draws good crowd

By

Amiria

Teki.

Raetihi School hosted a Maori culture festival with schools from throughout the area taking part, last Friday, 1 December.

Schools from the region that took part were Pipiriki, Taihape, Ohakune Primary School Bilingual Class, Te Aroha Kohanga Reo (Waiouru), Manu Korero Te Kohanga Reo and Kurakaupapa (Ohakune), Mo Te Whanau Te

Kohanga Reo and Nga Morehuo Uenuku Te Kohanga Reo, Raetihi. The event drew a large crowd, many visitors coming from Taihape, Waiouru, Pipiriki and Ohakune to enjoy the show which was held in warm and sunny weather. After the traditional welcome of a powhiri, the festival got under way, with the Raetihi School Maori Culture Club first on stage. Riki T aura led the school in a haka, which was followed by an action song, a poi and finally a waiata (song without actions). Standard One and Two pupils also performed two items. During the powhiri, GrantFountain, the schools' principal, spoke of last years' success and said, that as a result, it was decided to go ahead with the festival this year. He said that as this year is the year of the Maori language, it was a good chance to promote both the language and Tikanga Maori, (the traditions of the Maori culture).