‘Sup e te whānau,
Nau mai, hoki mai ki Te Arawhata—the rangatahi edition!
If you want to be a bomb aunty/uncle/grandparent/general old(er) person who is ‘up with the play’ or ‘down with the happs’ when it comes to the rangatahi/youth of today then definitely DON’T repeat any of the lingo we’ve just used (including the kupu/word, lingo).
Instead, check out this week’s picks by, for, and about rangatahi including; big (kinda dangerous) dreams, hopeful voices, rite of passage textbooks, Grace’s scariest uiui/interview ever, and more.
Our future is in their hands e hoa mā, so let’s get to know them.
First up, let’s set the scene as always with some talk of the tāone (and ideally a pihikete/biscuit and tī/tea).
- Speaking of rangatahi much cooler than us… RNZŌ, has released a new song ‘Taniwharau’ and it’s the goods.
- We’re getting pumped for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori after this years’ kaupapa and parade announcements.
- Maahina have dropped a suite of new bilingual rauemi/resources to help us align with the maramataka.
- Manawa Māori is teasing something exciting and we’re well intrigued…
- Beautiful scenes from this years Koroneihana have been taking over our social feeds 😍.
- We want a new waea/phone just for this rad new case designed by Māori artist, Chloē Reweti.
Everything feels a little more possible after watching these kids—even jumping a bmx off a 40 foot ramp or surfing the heaviest ngaru/wave in the world (I said MORE possible). Their skill, resilience, and infectious joy for the sports they love will lift your day/rā. Their relationships with their mātua/parents will make you cry. This series isn’t just inspiring rangatahi to dream big.
Find it: on the RNZ website I Time: 10min episodes I Cost: free I Credits: produced for TAHI by Fire Fire
We’re laying our bets publically—Tyree Wall is the next Stan Walker. At 12 years old, we were racing down the hipi/sheep shearing slide at Grace’s pāmu/farm (true story). Tyree, on the other ringa/hand, was writing his first waiata. Now 16, he’s taken out the ‘E Tū Whānau Song Competition’ with this soul-touching original. It won’t be his last accolade.
Find it: on youtube I Time: 4mins 30secs I Cost: free I Credits: written and performed by Tyree Wall
Moulding high school students since 1962, this pukapuka/book is a tāonga tuku iho/treasure handed down in many whānau, for good reason. If you’re waimarie/lucky you’ll have one with handwritten notes from an aunty or uncle to keep you inspired (and provide some answers!🤞🏽). If not, don’t despair, you can still hokona/buy copies and be the first to make a mark.
Find it: on the Poi Princess website I Time: a term or two I Cost: $25 I Credits: written by Hoani R. Waititi (āe, THE Hoani R. Waititi)
Ok team, to really understand rangatahi, we have to meet them on their turf—pae pāpori/social media and that includes TikTok (NOT TokTok which Grace keeps telling me isn’t a mea/thing). Here’s a good list to tīmata/start; Tu Edmonds from Alien Weaponry (for learns), Hahana (for laughs), Ashley McGregor (for reo and whakaaro Māori), and Ohinga (for culture). Good luck out there!
Find them: on TikTok using the links above. If you’re not quite ready for that, you can find Tu Edmonds from Alien Weaponry, Hahana, and Ohinga on instagram l Time: 2mins I Cost: free I Credits: Tu is the bassest in Alien Weaponry Ashley is running the show herself, Hahana is produced by Blackout Media, Ohinga is produced by MahiTahi
*This article contains some light swearing, (written the more polite way with symbols). Feel free to skip it this week if that’s still not your cuppa, but don’t let it put you off checking out this beautiful exhibition here.
In 2016, whakairo/carving was introduced as a subject at Otāhuhu College. I’m about to speak with Ben, a tauira/student, as he gets ready for their upcoming exhibition; ‘Te Tārai Rangatira’, at Māngere Arts Centre—and I’m nervous. I know it’s silly. What is it about young people that scares me so much?
They’re like cool little aliens who effortlessly understand the latest trends and tech, serving up constant reminders of how fast the world moves (and how easy it is to feel left behind as a dorky 30 something-year-old). I want to be relevant, connected,… hip (oh man, do people still say hip?).
Before I can come up with a cooler word, the zoom call connects and here I am i-kanohi ki te i-kanohi/e-face to e-face with the dreaded, the terrifying, the formidable—rangatahi.
Ben is 18 years old. He started whakairo at 16 after being amazed by the carvings at his marae and finding out they’d been done by students.
"Seeing it in person, knowing it was done by students, kinda inspired me. I just decided that I wanted to take it on," he recalls.
I asked what his first piece was like.
”Well… to be honest… it was kinda s*&%. I've still got my first piece at home, it's still hanging on my wall.”
After two years of learning, he hardly recognises that ‘s*&%’ piece.
“I like looking at it cos I see my progression. I'm like, far, did I do that? That was s*&%. And then I look at my pieces now and I think farrrr, I don't think that was me.”
I ask him about the impact whakairo has had on his life.
"It’s impacted heaps of things. It’s really changed who I am as a person."
Ben tells me he’s teaching what he’s learned to his mum and younger siblings. Now his tēina/younger brother carves alongside him in a group called ‘Te Tārai Rangatira Collective’.
"When we leave school, we have this group, so we can carry it on—not just leave it at school, but take it out into the world," he explains.
As for what’s next? "Probably the pūtea/the money—extra money in the pockets." He goes on to plug the upcoming exhibition like a pro.
Intrigued, I ask if he has a message he’d like older generations to understand about rangatahi Māori.
"Probably just to notice the talent that there is. There’s talent outside of just the kura kaupapa schools. There are tauira in other schools who have talent too." Ben proudly lists the names of his classmates and emphasizes his point to me, "Just notice the talent."
One of those talents heads suddenly appears on screen. Savannah is another student taking whakairo.
"That's a hard question,” she says, “probably not to put up barriers. It’s really different being rangatahi today—back then, they didn’t have the opportunities we have now."
Together they fill me in on all the new innovations being used in modern whakairo. Savannah uses laser cutters and designs patterns on an iPad which are then transferred to the cutter.
"It gives you designs you can’t do with a chisel. It’s sweet, solid."
Certainly sounds it.
As the interview wraps up, I ask Savannah to finish this sentence for Ben: "Sorry I’m late to class; it’s because I was…"
She laughs and answers without missing a beat, "carving."
It’s clear how much passion and love they both have for whakairo and it’s impossible not to feel inspired.
I thank them for their time and mention I’ll be down at some stage to check out their work.
They both reply with thanks, goodbyes, and an all-important parting message, "Bring your wallet, Grace!”
As their giggles and young faces fade to black, I’m left with deep admiration for these cool (and cheeky) little aliens. Maybe they’re not so scary after all. You can find out for yourself at the exhibition; it runs 17 August 14 September, all the other details are here and you’ve already got the main tohutohu/instructions! 💳😉
*If you’re hōhā that this is yet another event only in Tāmaki Makaurau, follow our new ‘Haere’ instagram page covering YOUR region’s best Māori events. Once we hit 100 followers for a page we’re off!
Hate to say it but…. Tāmaki Makaurau IS currently in the lead… come on:
-Te Moana-a-Toiehuatahi/Bay of Plenty
-Te Tai Rāwhiti and Te Matau-a-Māui/Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay
-Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington
-Whakatū, Te Tai-o-Aorere, and Te Tauihu-o-te-waka/Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough
-Waitaha and Te Tai Poutini/Canterbury and West Coast,
Feeling younger? Us too! We hope this newsletter helped you to enjoy, learn more about, and deepen your connection with te ao Māori today.
Hei ā tērā wiki!/Till next week!
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