Ko ngā Kura Kaupapa o Te Pi’ipi’inga Kakano Mai i Rangiatea me Ngāruahinerangi e whakangungu ana mō Te Whakataetae Waka Ama ā-motu, ka tū ki te roto o Tikitapu, ki Rotorua.
Tekau mā whā te pakeke o Nataria Winikerei o Te Pi’ipi’inga, ko ia tētehi o ngā kaihoe e whakarite ana kia tae pai atu ki te whakataetae.
“E āhua āmaimai ana ahau, engari e pai hoki,” hei tā Nataria.
“I tēnei rā e aro ana mātou ki ō mātou hurihanga me ō mātou pukenga ki rō waka,” hei tāna.
E hikaka ana tēnei taitamawāhine, kei te tau tekau ki tōna kura kia whakataetae ai tana reanga rangatahi wāhine.
“Kia ngana mātou ki te eke ki te taumata o runga, ki te kore, kei te pai, ka ngana tonu mātou,” hei tā Nataria anō.
Ko te karapu Taranaki Outrigger Canoe Club Waka Ama e tautoko ana i ēnei kura kia whakawhanake ia rātou pukenga kaihoe.
E ai kia Nathan Tuuta (Ngāti Mutunga) ko tētehi o ngā painga o te Waka Ama mō te hunga rangatahi, ko te whai i ngā tikanga Māori me te whakapakari i ngā taha o te whare tapawhā katoa.
“Ko te mea nui ki te whai ki ngā tikanga ā rātou mā. Mā ngā tamariki hoki, ka whakapakari te tinana, ka whakatau ā rātou hinengaro, titiro ki te wai o te rangi nei, he ataahua, mā tātou katoa ki te mahia, ko ērā ngā mea katoa," hei tā Nathan.
"Pai mō te hinegnaro, mō te whānau, mō te tinana, mō te wairua. Ko ērā mea o te tapawha pea,” hei tāna.
Ka tauawhitia ai e te karapu me Nathan i ngā rangatahi o Taranaki nei, hei reo tautoko hei te wiki e haere ake nei.
