MBC Haka Powhiri, Mau Rakau

By Chris Valli

A new year and a new tradition for Marlborough Boys’ College students.

Year 9 students starting their first day at college next week will be welcomed with a Haka Powhiri and the inclusion of a traditional Māori art, Mau Rākau.

Principal Matua John Kendal says with the implementation of the Aotearoa Histories Curriculum this year and a focus for all secondary schools to better understand Mātauranga Māori (knowledge of Māori and traditional concepts) they will be including Mau Rākau into their Inter-House competition.

Mau Rākau is a traditional Māori martial art which gives the ākonga (students) the opportunity to learn the ancestral practices, values and protocols.

Matua John says a new tradition that will begin this year will be to gift each incoming Year 9 student with a Mau Rākau, which will be placed into the school hall.

“Mau rākau will be added to our incredibly competitive Inter-House Haka competition. We acknowledge that in traditional times, Mau Rākau and taiaha were weapons used in warfare. In today’s world, we use them to revitalise wellbeing, identity, and foster a sense of belonging within our school and community,” Matua John says.

“As we prepare to welcome our incoming Year 9 students and new staff to Marlborough Boys’ College, we look forward to the various academic, cultural, leadership and sporting opportunities that will be offered to our students throughout the course of 2023.”

John says Owen Eastwood, the author of Belonging, speaks to the essence of what the MBC school values strive to develop and foster for every student who enters through our school gates.

“To feel a sense of belonging is to feel accepted, to feel seen and to feel included by a group of people, believing that we fit in, trusting we will be protected by them” - Owen Eastwood .

The core school values are built upon, whakanui (respect), whakauru (involvement) kawenga (responsibility), and whakahī (pride).

This year’s haka pōwhiri is taking place on Wednesday, February 1, starting at 8.30 am with all manuhiri (visitors), students and whānau meeting at the Francis Street gate entry.