On our 2nd day in Whakatane (Sat 08 Sept.) we were able to witness the fruit of the vision Paora (Black Power chapter leader) had back in 1992 when he decided that what was missing in the lives of the gang members and what could heal them was their Maori culture. Paora was not able to get the national leaders to buy into his dream at the time and so he took his own path of a very deep emotion into the culture and language he had not known as a child and young man growing up. We got to meet his elder son Raymond and next son Glenn (who has just come back from Australia), and hear from them what they witnessed as they grew up observing their father’s journey. They both spoke with great pride about what their father had given them, and how it had affected their lives. Now Paora and his sons play a unique role in sharing the deep traditions of their culture with their Marae and with the wider public in Whakatane.
Saturday morning was a regional junior rugby league tournament and festival. Teams of young players had come from around the region to Whakatane where the championship was held. In a tradition of the elders, the local young players along with Iwi leaders welcomed the different teams in the traditional way of their people.
Paora’s eldest son, Raymond, teachers kapa haka, taiaha, te reo Maori, and deeper culture to schoolchildren in Whakatane. He is incredibly dedicated to revitalizing the traditions and a deeper cultural understanding, especially with the young people, of the entire Maori culture. Today he led the young team members from Whakatane in a traditional welcoming of the other teams who are coming for the competition. They began by practicing at 7 am in order to be ready for the formal start of the program at 9 am.
While young boys performed a haka, C.K. (one of the BP younger generation we had interviewed yesterday, and who are setting a new course for the gang) performed the traditional challenge to the teams who were being welcomed. CK had learned the taiaha and how to perform the challenge from Raymond. CK concluded his challenge by placing a twig with leaves on the ground. Paora guided a young representative from the visitors to come forward and pick up the twig with leaves to show they had come in good faith. All the while, Raymond was leading the young boys from Whakatane in a challenging haka. One by one the visiting teams came forward and responded with their own haka. The Iwi elders then sang a welcoming waiata and Paora spoke in Te Reo Maori to welcome everyone. And an elder representative from the visitors responded and the games were declared open.
VIDEOS OF EVENT ON MY FB HERE – https://www.facebook.com/Allan.Tibby.page/videos/2232918863606674/
It was very moving to see how a young man who was steeped in violent gang culture (Paora) who had this vision, and then dedicated himself over decades to not just familiarize himself, but to become deeply enriched with the intricacies of his lost culture, has gone on to make such a profound change in the lives of so many people. It is both truly inspiring and, if I were in government, I would really get behind and support as it clearly shows what can be done through vision and leadership.
Before leaving Whakatane, we went down to the beach at Ohope, and saw these amazing huge logs on the beach, which were carved with Maori design. Apparently, some local guy comes down to the beach and carves on logs that are washed ashore, and then when there are large tides and storms, they are picked up and washed to other parts of the coast. It was supercool to see.
