Tūhoe is a proud iwi with a strong culture – thanks in part to a biennial festival which helps keep unique tribal customs and traditions alive across the generations.

Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe has been running for more than 50 years, providing a chance for iwi members to return home to the Eastern Bay of Plenty to compete in kapa haka, rugby, netball and other games and events.

This Easter it will be held in Waimana, about 25km inland from Whakatāne, and will attract an estimated 30,000 people during the three day event.

Te Manatū Ahurea o Tūhoe Charitable Trust organises the festival every two years. Spokesperson Wena Harawira says it originally began in the 1960s as a rugby and netball tournament to maintain kinship ties for Auckland and Wellington-based iwi members.

“One of our elders, John Rangihau, saw it as a way of combating urban drift and making sure that people stayed in touch with their Tūhoe culture and language. He suggested adding kapa haka in the early 1970s and word just spread… Tūhoe groups from all around the country set up their own kapa haka just to participate in the competition.”

Strength in numbers

Over 51,000 people affiliated to Tūhoe in the 2023 census, 60% of which are under the age of 30, so the festival is likely to grow bigger every year. Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe provides a chance to reconnect and cherish the tribe’s unique dialect and distinctive customary practices. For example, each kapa haka team must sing the same waiata moteatea (Māori chant) to ensure all Tūhoe descendants know the chant when required at other occasions.

Wena says 16 senior teams and 13 junior teams will compete in this year’s kapa haka competition alongside hundreds of rugby and netball players. A traditional Māori ball sport called Kī-o-rahi will also be played this year.

“When I was a kid I remember when the festival was held on a single marae with a dirt stage and people seated on the grass.

“This year we are having it near Waimana School and some of the local farmers have given us use of their land. We’ve got a fully equipped stage with lighting, a sound system, and a big LED screen. We also have a backdrop and branding. It costs a lot of money to stage it all and cater for all the different teams staying at local marae.”

Tickets are kept affordable (just $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for kaumatua and under 5s) and event organisers rely heavily on sponsorship and funding from organisations like BayTrust.

Financial support welcome

“BayTrust is like a fairy godmother. A lot of our sponsors have found it tough going in recent times so a lot of our sponsorship has reduced. We’ve had to plan accordingly and we’re grateful for everything that we get from our sponsors.”

BayTrust’s $10,000 grant will help pay for compliance costs, health and safety, transport, set up and pack down. “This grant pays for a good chunk of everything,” Wena explains.

A huge number of volunteers pour hours into organising the event and being the “hands and feet on the ground” at Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe. But the time and money spent is well worth it.

“More and more Tūhoe teams have joined over the years from Ruatoki, Tāwera, Tāneatua, Ruatāhuna, Waikaremoana, Waimana, Waiōhau, Rotorua, Kawerau, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, East Coast and even Australia. Whānau based teams have also performed. This year people will be coming from as far south as Wellington.

“This is a way of keeping traditions alive and it’s a way of encouraging people to participate who may not have strong ties back to their marae or their hapu. It’s an opportunity to learn about kapa haka but also to come back to Tūhoe to find their families.”