Southland Secondary School Sport is hosting a Matariki Festival Day on the 1^st July. This is to fit in with the Murihiku Matariki festival week celebrations. The secondary school event will follow a Pacifika festival on June 26^th and precede the Murihiku Matariki Light Festival.

The objective is to promote physical activity with an opportunity to create an awareness of cultural diversity, well-being, and offer rangatahi new experiences. The festival will feature 6 activities, 4 of these will be based around Maori cultural games and activities and 2 around Pacifika games and activities. The activities are Ki O Rahi, Tapu ae, Poi To , a demonstration of Mourakau, Pani and Samoan traditional dance.

The programme for the day will start with a mihi whakatau and karakia. Schools have been invited to enter teams of 8, these teams will rotate around all 6 activities in 35–40-minute time intervals.

We have partnered with Te Wharekura Arowhenua, who will support and lead the Maori games and activities.  Students from the Kura will be involved with assisting in leading and demonstrating these.  Students from Southland Girls HS will also be involved in leading the Pacifika activities.  Another partnership for the day has been formed with the YMCA who have a group of youth services staff that will also assist is facilitating activities. The YMCA will be entering a team of students who, although school aged are now not involved directly with local schools. It is providing an opportunity for them to be engaged with an event with similar aged students, which they seldom have the chance to do.

As well as students having fun in a non-competitive environment and being encouraged to try new activities, they also create an opportunity to facilitate leadership roles. They envisage this will become an annual event that over time we can modify or add to, according to feedback and input from our rangatahi.

Article added: Wednesday 16 June 2021