Māori culture and heritage of Tāmaki Makaurau will be the essence of a new festival that will take place on the Auckland Waterfront.
The inaugural Tāmaki Herenga Waka Festival will be held on Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2016 on Queens Wharf.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) has been working alongside Tāmaki Makaurau mana whenua to establish a summertime festival to celebrate the Māori heritage and culture of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Mayor Len Brown says Auckland has been the hub for people and trade since the 1300s.
“So many waka could be seen on Auckland’s harbours that the region gained another name, Tāmaki Herenga Waka – Tāmaki, the gathering place of many canoes.
“Tāmaki Makaurau continues to gather people to its shores and this new festival gives us all a chance – new Aucklanders and whānau that have been here for generations – to learn about, celebrate and honour Tāmaki Makaurau mana whenua and our unique Māori story,” says Len Brown.
The free entry festival will feature waka, performances by contemporary Māori artists, traditional and contemporary kapa haka, workshops, Māori crafts and kai, storytelling that will have a strong focus on navigation, and a 'Koro Lounge' where pakeke can sit and relax and have a cup of tea.
Inter-iwi waka races will also take place and the public will have the opportunity to try paddling a waka and see waka hourua on the Waitematā.
Festival Mana Whenua Steering Group chair Hauauru Rawiri says mana whenua, ATEED and delivery partner Tāmaki Herenga Waka Trust are laying a platform for working together to further the Māori identity and culture of Tāmaki Makaurau, as well as Māori enterprise and aspirations.
“Tamaki Herenga Waka is where it all converged, the people, the place, the culture, the waka and the trade. This festival is a reconnection and realignment with what was here before and realising that is what Tāmaki Makaurau still is – the place where people come to and trade happens.
“The 2016 festival will be our foundation on which ATEED and iwi build a pathway for the future development of the festival. It will be a path which supports iwi identity, as well as aligning with the aspirations of Tāmaki Makaurau to be a vibrant, inclusive city.”
“The kaupapa of this event is one of mahi ngātahi, a collaborative approach between mana whenua and ATEED,” says Rawiri.
The festival will begin on Saturday 30 January to Monday 1 February 2016.