BLESSING OF THE PRESTIGIOUS MAHAU

MEDIA RELEASE

MONDAY 13th FEBRUARY, 2023

The blessing of the prestigious mahau will take place at Ngā Ana Wai Eden Park in Tāmaki Makaurau on Monday, 13 February.

The blessing will commence Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata festival beginning Tuesday 21 February. “We are delighted to welcome the mahau, the kaihaka and all the Te Matatini whānau and fans back to Tāmaki Makaurau, particularly as we celebrate 50 years of kapa haka with Te Matatini,” says Paora Sharples, Chairman of Tamaki Makaurau Senior Kapa Haka Society.

“It is always an honour to host this world class event that celebrates the pinnacle of Māori performing arts,” said Mr Sharples.

The mahau was carved by 20 carvers from the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute and was first unveiled at Te Matatini in Rotorua in 2013. Since then, the mahau has been a permanent stage fixture at Te Matatini festivals.

Standing over 13 metres tall with a 30-meter span and weighing about 26 tonnes, the mahau is said to be the country’s largest carved structure and represents iwi throughout the country.

“It has been four years since we’ve been able to bring kapa haka back to the world stage and we are delighted to see the prestigious mahau once again take the stage,” says Carl Ross Chief Executive of Te Matatini.

“The mahau, called Te Matatini, celebrates our traditions and connectivity across the motu and acknowledges our shared origins. It is a taonga which embraces our performers and adds prestige to the largest kapa haka festival in the world,” says Mr Ross.

The timbers used for the mahau are all native wood and include huge kauri carbon-dated at 4,500 years old.

The last time Te Matatini was held in Tāmaki Makaurau was in 2002, and before then in was in 1981. Traditionally, Te Matatini is held every two years but was postponed in 2021 due to COVID restrictions.