I tēnei tau ka whakanuia te 50 tau nō te wikitōria a Māwai Hakona i te whakataetae kapahaka ā motu ki Rotorua I te tau 1973. I taua tau hoki rātou haere ai ki te whakatūwheratanga o te Whare Ōpera ki Poihākena. I timata te rōpu ki Te Awakairangi ki Uta i te hiahia ki te whakakotahi i te iwi māori i ngā tau 60. I moemoeātia e ngā mema o Māwai Hakona rātou ko ngā kaumātua kia whakatū I tētahi marae hāpori, arā ko Ōrongomai. Ko tā te marae I ēnei ra he āwhina I te hāpori me te hunga kua mauhere ki ngā ratonga hauora.
This year celebrates 50 years of Māwai Hakona performing at the opening of the Sydney Opera House and winning the 1973 Polynesian festival, presently known as Te Matatini. Māwai Hakona, originating from Upper Hutt was formerly created as a place for māori to connect with each other in the 1960’s. Māwai Hakona developed a vision to create Ōrongomai Marae. Today the marae offers many health and social services for the wider community and former prisoners.
Māwai Hakona - Hine Manuhiri Poa (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tuhoe), Martin Rakuraku (Te Arawa, Tūhoe), Pat Rainey (Ngāti Pākeha), Sophie Tukukino (Ngāti Tamaterā, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu), Te Ohoreremate Huriwai (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui)
Ringatohu: Shania Bailey-Edmonds
Waka Huia is an iconic archival documentary series recording the unique stories and histories of Māori for all New Zealanders.