Ngā Manu Kōrero: Top rangatahi speechmakers crowned

The top secondary school speech-makers were crowned today at Ngā Manu Kōrero national speech competition in Kaikohe.

The four-day event came to a close with a prizegiving that saw four students announced as the best orators in Māori and English, senior and junior sections.

Rereaio Kahi from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae in Auckland received the Pei Te Hurinui trophy for overall winner of the senior Māori section. It is the first time the kura has won the coveted prize.

Kahi, who is the granddaughter of prominent iwi leader and former politician Tukoroirangi Morgan, told Te Karere that with the upcoming election, and Māori being “āhua wehewehe (a bit divided)”, she felt compelled to talk about the success and achievements of notable figures such as Dame Whina Cooper and Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.

“He whakamahara anō i a tātou kia kore tātou e tūohu ahakoa ngā uauatanga o te wā.”

(“To remind ourselves not to bow under our current hardships.”)

Senior English Korimako winner Kuramātakitaki Stevens, of John McGlashan College in Dunedin, told Te Hiku Media it was a hard journey to the national stage, and he did not expect to get as far as he did.

“I barely made it out of regionals; I had a really competitive regional stand. I was really nervous when I first got up here and I was listening to all the other kōrero, like Pou Ariki [Hemara-Daniels, second placegetter] scared me a wee bit,” he said.

Stevens said he was happy he could do his rohe (region) and iwi proud. It is the first time a South Island school has won in the senior English section.

Tangiata Teinakore-Huaki from Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa in Hamilton received the Rāwhiti Ihaka trophy for best junior Māori speaker, and Arihia Phillps from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe was named best junior English speaker in Tā Turi Kara (Sir Turi Carroll) section.

In a notable achievement, all four speakers from event hosts Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe placed in their respective sections, leading to the school being awarded the E Tipu E Rea trophy for the highest aggregate points in both Māori and English sections.

1st – Arihia Phillips (TKKM o Kaikohe)

2nd – Shane Chand (TKKM o Te Ara Hou)

3rd – Tuirina Panapa (Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa)

1st – Tangiata Teinakore-Huaki (Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa)

2nd eq – Merehinewhakaangi Ihakara (TKKM o Ruamata) & Te Atamahina Warren (TKKM o Kaikohe)

3rd – Te Huinga Purewa (TKKM o Hoani Waititi Marae)

1st – Kuramātakitaki Stevens (John McGlashan College)

2nd – Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels (TKKM o Kaikohe)

3rd eq – Sidney Waiari (Tarawera High School) & Kaea Paniora (TKKM o Hoani Waititi Marae)

1st – Rereiao Kahi (TKKM o Hoani Waititi)

2nd – Te Kahurangi Teinakore-Huaki (Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa) & Ngataitangirua Hita (TKKM o Kaikohe)

More on this topic

Sixty young speechmakers set to take the stage at Ngā Manu Kōrero

Over the next two days, young speakers from secondary schools around the country are competing at the national speech competition held at Papa Hawaiki in Kaikohe.

Te Ao Māori

Tue, Sep 22

3rd – Malea Proctor (TKKM o Nga Uri o Maui)

E Tipu E Rea (Student or school with highest aggregate in both English and Māori) – TKKM o Kaikohe