Welcoming The Malama Honua Voyage

Welcoming The Malama Honua Voyage

On Wednesday the 25th of March all the manaiakalani schools in Auckland New Zealand gathered to welcome two waka’s coming all the way from Hawaii to New Zealand.

An hour before we welcomed the people to our country schools started filling in their spaces coming after each other there was

Pt England, Saint Patrick’s, Sommerville Special School, Ruapotaka, Glen Innes, Panmure Bridge, Glenbrae, Tamaki Primary, Tamaki College, Stonefields, St Pius and  Te Kura Kaupapa those were all 12 schools that joined us on the amazing day. For every school there had to be at least two or more people that represented their school for my school it was Johnnie, Giovanni and myself Natalia. The people that got chosen to represent their school were taught 3 songs and actions, 5 weeks before we welcomed the waka’s, and had to teach their school those songs and actions.

After every school was seated on the cold, wet grass behind their leaders who were on the beach in front of everyone you could see the waka coming from the side and another waka in the middle of the river.When the visitors stepped onto the sand we started the first song it was E Oho that was the song with the actions to it the leaders started off then the schools followed on we did it 6 times until it was finished. The sun was burning hot but we still remained in our positions. The people from Hawaii gathered into 3 lines and someone from our side of the beach went up by the microphones and said a few words in Maori welcoming the guests to our wonderful country. Then it was time to sing another song the song was called Nga Waka it was all about the 7 wakas that came to New Zealand years before our time here on earth.

Then a man from their group said a speech in Hawaiian and a lady then sang a song again in Hawaiian after they had finished their song 3 students from Pt England school came up and said a mihi with pride. After the mihi Mr Burt a teacher from Pt England came up and told everyone why we are gathered here and what it means to be in the manaiakalani cluster.Than it was time to do the IMPOSSIBLE yes that’s right all 2000 students there at Pt England Reserve were to shake hands with the group of people from Hawaii all at once in a long, long line we were all thinking it will be too hard but we were wrong every single student there shook hands with the people from Hawaii.

It was done we completed a fascinating day of heritage and greetings and I will never forget that day where I got to represent my school doing  something I love.