He Aha Te Hau

Newton Central School


He Matakite nā Tïtahi

This is a waiata that has been gifted to our school by mana whenua Ngati Whatua to be used when welcoming visitors into our school and at other formal occasions. It is a waiata that is very significant to mana whenua and to Auckland city and its community.

The waiata is a prophecy from one of the Ngati Whatua ancestors where he foresaw the arrival of the European to this country, and that his people in time would obtain the nucleus of this new people and place it upon Waitemata. This prophecy came to fruition many many years later in 1840 when Governor Hobson accepted the invitation of Te Kawau the chief of Orakei at that time, and moved from Russell in the north here to Auckland.

This was the beginning of Auckland City in the embracing hands of mana whenua, and here we are today, the ever developing community of the biggest city of this country, in the embracement of those same hands.


Whakarongo – listen to the waiata:

He aha te hau e wawara mai
He tiu, he raki
Nāna i a mai te pūpū-tarakihi ki uta
E tikina atu e au te kōtiu
Ko ia te pou, te pou whakairo ka tū ki Waitematā
I ōku wairangi ee
Kōkiri!

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