Rawiri Waititi
Te Paati Māori Co-Leader, Kapa Haka exponent
Ko Tihirau te maunga
Ko Whangāparaoa te awa
Ko Kauaetangohia te marae
Ko Te Whānau a Kauaetangohia te hapū
Ko Te Whānau a Apanui te iwi
Ko Tauira-mai-tawhiti te waka
Ko Poumātangatanga te tangata
Ko Whangaparāoa-mai-tawhiti te papa tipu
I tipu ake awahau ki te take o Tihirau, ki te kāenga e kīa nei ko Whangaparāoa-mai-tawhiti, heoi, ko aku tawatawaenga ki ngā iwi maha, nō roto mai i a Mataatua, Te Arawa, Tainui me te Tairāwhiti whānui. I tipu awahau ki ngā rekereke o aku pakeke i roto i te mātatorutanga o taku ao Māori, Ka tarea te kī, nā te kāwhiu a tēnā, a tēnā, a, ka tangata.
Tēnei mea te haka kai roto i te toto, ka tarea te kī, he haka te kai, i te ao, i te pō. He kaihaka, he kaitito, he kaiako, he kaiāwhina, he kaiwhakapaipai marae, he kaikōrero, he kaikarakia, he kaiwhakawā, he kaiwhakatangitangi kūtā awahau i roto i te ao haka. Ka tarea te kī, nā te haka awahau, a, ka tangata.
I te tau 1996 ki Rotorua taku tū tuatahi ki te Matatini, ko te kapa ko Te Kotuku ki Waipareira. Kāti ake, mai i ngā tau 2006 – ki tēnei rangi tō, ko Te Whānau a Apanui taku kapa ki te Matatini. He kapa a iwi taku kapa, kai ōna pakihiwi ngā kōrero, ngā take nui o te iwi ki te ao.
Ko te haka taku hoa haere i roto i aku hīkoinga katoa, kāre he rerekētanga i ngā mahi haka ki te Matatini, ki ngā mahi haka ki runga marae, a, ki ngā mahi haka ki rō pāremata. Ka tarea te tuku mā te haka koe e ārahi i roto i ō whātorohanga katoa. Māmā noa iho te tiki ketuketu i roto i te kete kōrero a ngā mātua tīpuna hai āta kārawarawa i ngā kaupapa nui o te wā.
Nāreira, e ngā taniwha nui o te ao haka, haruru ana, whakarukea tō taera! Whiua ki te ao, whiua ki te rangi, whiua ki ngā iwi katoa, kia ngāwari