Twelve-year-old Ihaia Hepi’s whaikōrero to Te Arikinui Kuini Ngāwai Hono i te Pō at the recent Poukai held at Poohara Marae in Waikato was watched by thousands on social media.

In a rare move, the young speaker was given the honour of delivering his speech from the paepae at the Poukai, a space traditionally reserved for elders. Hepi says he was grateful for the opportunity.

“Kaore ka mīharo menā kaore i korā tōku whānau hei whakaako ahau i ngā mahi o te marae, hei manaaki, ka tautoko i ahau, hei mahi i ēnei mea.”

Now, he’s building on that experience as he steps up to his school speech competition at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere.

When asked what makes a great orator, Hepi keeps it simple.

“Ko te tuatahi me māia koe, me tuku te aroha, me harikoa koe, whakahīkaka i te crowd.”

His māmā, Te Atawhai, says before the school competition, Ihaia had only spoken publicly twice, once at Poohara and at school the day after the last coronation of the late Kiingi Tūheitia.

He didn’t come away with the win this time, but the experience, his supporters say, will better prepare him for future comps.

Te reanga hou

E ai ki te kura, e kaha kite ana rātou i te whanaketanga o ngā pukenga pū kōrero i roto i a rātou tamariki. E ai ki Emerson Rikiriki o Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Paatetere, e tika ana kia pēnei.

“Kua roa a Tā Timoti e mea ana kua tae mai kē te Reanga hou, anei te reanaga, anei ngā tamariki pēnei i ā Ihaia e tūtū mai nā i runga i ō tātou Marae”

Kei te tautoko a Te Atawhai i ēnei kōrero.

“Kounga ake nei ngā rangatahi o ngēnei rā, me te mea, ko tō tātou Arikinui Kuini Ngāwai Hono i te Pō, i te mea he rangatahi tonu ia, kua whakapuaki ia i ngērā momo tatau ki te hunga rangatahi e tū kaha ai rātou ki ngā whaikōrero, ki ngā mahi kapa haka.”