Run by Border Crossing, their website states the purpose of the Origins festival: the bringing together of cultures of the world to “exhibit and explain, to perform and inform, to debate and celebrate…it is a space for dialogue between First Nations artists and London audiences” (Origins festival website).

Among the nations represented are the Aboriginal Australian, Inuit, Mayan, Native American, Pacific Islanders, Papuan, Saharawi, and Gaelic. Also featuring a proud and very strong representation throughout the festival is Aotearoa and our Māori culture.

Londoners were wowed by the musical talents of the likes of Pacific Girls, and the powerful vocals of diva, Bella Kalolo and her band from Lower Hutt. London based cultural group Ngati Ranana as well as representatives flown over from Toi Māori have also held a strong presence in the events over the first week of the festival.

Such a presence in fact, that people would be forgiven for taking a double check when out near the River Thames last Friday. It was definitely a sight to see. For me personally as I watched our men from Ngati Ranana, Toi Māori (and two Dutchmen), paddle the Waka Taua down the river I did so with pride, this was my culture. This waka, these people, from my home. As a paddler, I wished that I could be on the water too. And then through the noise of London city, the traffic, the people, whatever was going on, I heard it, through my ears, that call, the karanga, my head lifted and turned straight to the source, powering from across the river, emanating through the air, across the water, through the current, greeting, calling, welcoming.

For our men in the waka, later they said, it was like an ‘airiness’, (perhaps the juxtaposition) but a complete uplifting. The kind that comes from having your familiar culture in a foreign land and the mauri of the karanga itself.

Crafted by Hector Busby the waka, Hono ki Aotearoa along with a Waka Tete, was gifted in 2010 by Nga Puhi to the Volken Kunde Leiden Museum in the Netherlands in exchange for an earlier returning of Moko Mokai heads to Aotearoa. The waka is said to be a “flagship for Māori culture and events around the continent” (The Northland Age).

Housed at the museum the waka is a part of a Maori exhibition of art and culture and is used in special occasions while the Waka Tete is kept on the river and paddled frequently by local Dutch paddlers.

London was greeted by even more of our fantastic culture during a whanau day out in the Park at Hamstead Heath. Kicking the day off with a powhiri, onlookers and families gathered that day watched the formal process largely between Ngati Ranana and Toi Māori; the wero, the haka powhiri, the wielding of the patu, the expressions and artful oratory presented by both sides.
The day proceeded full of song, dance and storytelling from various lands. Children and adults had the opportunity to make poi, kites, listen to aboriginal dream time storytelling, learn the haka and eat fresh earth cooked hangi.

Festival organiser Michael Walling whose personal mission it is to bring everyone together for this tremendous cultural experience was extremely pleased with the event saying what an honour it was to be joined by so many different nations. He also recognised the destructive nature of western culture and called for the western world to learn from indigenous cultures in order to sustain our earth mother, life and health unto the future.

As a Māori girl from home, for me it was just awesome to have so much of our culture freely around me and to witness it being shared, appreciated and taken in by people of all ages and nationalities, here on the other side of the world.

By Fay Hawea
London City