Secondary school pupils from Dunedin and Southland performed in the Te Hautoka 2021 kapa haka competition at the Dunedin Town Hall on Saturday.
Four groups competed in the competition — He Waka Kotuia and Wairua Puhou of Dunedin, and Southland groups Te Kapa Haka o Hemi Hakena and Te Wharekura o Arowhenua.
Three other groups performed outside of the competition.
Most of the performances were original, providing space for the performers to incorporate their own emotions and experiences.
Many of the participants lived away from their home tribes and the group provided a sense of family, she said.
There were layers of richness to Maori performing arts, from encouraging the growth of the language, to providing the performers with experiences they would never forget, she said.
One of the performances by He Waka Kotuia was a new take on The Wellerman sea shanty, which was about the Weller brothers.
The performers changed the lyrics to reflect the impact that colonisation and whaling had on the land and on Maori, Ms Tamati-Elliffe said.
The seven performance pieces were judged by a panel of 14 judges.
Wairua Puhou came third in the competition and Te Wharekura o Arowhenua came second.
He Waka Kotuia came first and will continue on to the finals in Auckland next year.
