- unity, pride and passion in cultural festival

6 November 2007

Unity and pride were celebrated at the New Zealand Army Cultural Festival, held in Waiouru last month. Nine groups from all over the country came together for the festival and shared their best new and more traditional moves on the camp’s cinema stage.

Denise Landau of Army News was there.

A long-held vision of former Chief of Army, the late Lieutenant General Tony Birks, is what kapa haka in the New Zealand Army is all about.

The McCorkindale whanau of Trentham are a part of that dream come true.

Staff Sergeant Haley McCorkindale and husband Mack, a former soldier of nine years service, and their two sons, Luke 14 and Keanu 12, have performed at all four Army cultural festivals.

They say the Army gathering is special because of the original kaupapa set down by LT GEN Birks when the festival was initiated around 1997.

That original vision cast an enduring intention to foster tikanga Maori, performing arts, Te Reo (language) from within the soldiers of Ngati Tumatauenga.

LT GEN Birks held that by encouraging participation in cultural activities, people both inside and outside the NZ Defence Force would benefit.

Ten years on, that simple but clear vision is already touching and changing people’s lives. Soldiers who were part of the inaugural festival have now gone on to earn degrees in Maori studies, Te Reo, Taiaha and performing arts.

Tribal tributes at the festival spanned the eons. The ancients were not forgotten but also a present day hero, Corporal Willie Apiata VC , was acknowledged in waiata.

Te Roopu Kapa Haka O Kairanga, Linton Camp’s cultural group honoured the first Victoria Cross for New Zealand recipient with its waiara a ringa (action song) entitled, Wiremu Apiata. The group said, “It was because of your unselfish actions that your comrade in arms survived. There is no greater devotion to duty than that. You embody the esteemed qualities of power and prestige that inspire awe, and yet are founded upon utmost humility and respect.” The piece was composed by Derek Lardelli of Ngati Porou.

The VIPs included Tuwharetoa Chief, Tumu Te Heuheu, his wife Sue, and 89 year-old 28th Maori Battalion veteran Eric Henry. He is also kaumatua of Te Whanau A Tumatauenga O Tiori, the family of the warrior tribe of Burnham.

Mr Henry’s daughter, Aroha Henry, who works in Burnham Camp, was also a member of the Burnham cultural group.

All nine groups had their own unique style and message.

Linton’s Te Roopu Kapa Haka O Kairanga men and women had the gathering in tears of laughter. Wanting to provide a light-hearted and extremely humorous bracket, the use of sunnies and cam net cloaks added to the colour of the day. Strains of cowboy musical themes and their use of Billy T James-type comedy made their performance effortlessly entertaining.

Also out of Linton was the Pasifika group, Tangaroa I Te Titi. The group is made up of Service personnel, civilians and extended whanau within the Manawatu rohe. All NZ born, they represented one or more of the 15 islands of the Cook Islands.

With a lively burst of booming drums, the Cook Islands culture arrived on stage like an erupting volcano. With the fire, there was also tranquility. Three little girls stole people’s hearts with their lovely dance routines and innocent faces. All the strength, passion and power of the young men in their bright blue island prints wraps and headdress, wowed the audience. Demure teenage girls gave their traditional hip-swinging dance all the energy required. You wanted to leap up there and join in. One of their pieces talked about the New Zealand born Cook Islanders, how proud they were to perform their culture, even though some of them had never been ‘home’ before. Performing such items made the individuals and group stronger within, they said.

Trentham was represented by Te Roopu O Te Pataka, and has been tutored by Mack McCorkindale (Tuhoe). He also tutors a college team, and those members bolstered the numbers of the Trentham group.

The Trentham haka was composed by WO 1 Jerald Twomey. The theme of the haka talks about the seeming decline in interest from Army personnel in participating in cultural activities.

The haka urged all soldiers, regardless of gender or race, to take part and contribute. WO 1 Twomey said, “In this way we can fulfil the vision of the late LT GEN Tony Birks, who was the Chief of General Staff when Ngati Tumatauenga was born.”

From the Bay of Plenty was Te Tini O Hauraki. Most of their waiata (song) were especially written for the festival. As Corporal Willie Apiata VC was a former Territorial Force soldier serving with the 6th Hauraki Battalion, he was acknowledged in their medley of war songs.

The Navy’s group was stunning in its performance, dress and bearing. The brilliant white korowai cloaks worn by the women were beautiful. Their sea-faring warriors left the audience in no doubt of their powerful voice, physical strength, and sheer competence and haka prowess on stage.

From the North Island’s East Coast came the children of Te Hokowhitu A Tu. The name is a dedication in honour of the men who fought in World War I and II, Te Hokowhitu A Tu, “the brave men of the God of War”.

The current focus of the group is the tamariki, but it has been performing since 1931. The group has had a long association with the 28th Maori Battalion and remains the only known cultural group to have honorary life membership status with the 28 Maori Bn Association, which was enforced in 1976.

Although the group numbers are down from previous years, a dedicated core of whanau continue to keep the legacy of Te Hokowhitu alive by maintaining a presence and participation in significant cultural events, regionally and nationally.

Waiouru’s group had the pride of being the hosts. It’s themes threaded together military and Maori values, for example, singing about the importance of holding to the standards passed down to nurture your potential and be the master carver of your destiny.

Waiouru Chaplain Rewai Te Kahu summed up feelings perfectly during a church service on Sunday morning. “The getting together like this is what we call ‘whanaungatanga’, the act of establishing new and renewing of old relationships. “To me it is one of the key taonga (treasures). We see it from the journey to get here, the practices, and bus rides, that’s whanaungatanga. Being welcomed onto the Marae, and dining together in the mess, that’s whanaungatanga. To the performances of young and old alike and all those in-between, that’s whanaungatanga.”

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