Waka at America's Cup Village, Auckland
February 2003
Nga Waka Federation, represented by Mataatua Waka, participated in the Sunday 2 February pageant during the special showcase in Auckland. Also present were other ceremonial waka, Kotuiti Tuarua of Thames, Te Ika A Maui of Waitangi and Te Au Kaha of Whangaroa.
Te Aurere the voyaging canoe and a scale model of a Tongan Kalia were also a feature of the day's waka pageant.
Waka was part of a Maori/Polynesian Arts and Cultural Showcase in support of the Cup Defence by Team New Zealand. The conclusion of the waka display was a haka on the main stage by all the kaihoe (paddlers) that threatened to rock the construction into the viaduct. Tom Schnakenberg, Design Head of Team New Zealand, thanked the waka people for their encouragement in the face of a daunting task to defend the cup.
Rocky Hawke event co-ordinator was pleased with the impact of the event and, on presenting Team New Zealand with a momento of the day, he expressed the wishes of all present: that the Cup had certainly contributed greatly to our country's seafaring profile internationally.
However, in a much closer perspective, a major part of the success of the event was the opportunity to support Ngati Whatua in maintaining the presence of Maori waka on the magnificent Waitemata Harbour. The response from the public while the waka were moored at Okahu Bay and the interaction at Orakei Marae of the young kaihoe and the elders of each waka was worth the effort on its own.
Both elders and paddlers shared the same sentiment: "Sometimes we have to do these events for ourselves, as a reminder of our great heritage and origins."