This article was first published on RNZ.
“Go 100 percent all the time” - that’s the best advice back to back Manu Kōrero champion Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels has been given about speaking.
Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the Ngā Manu Kōrero secondary schools’ speech competition in Whanganui.
It’s Aotearoa’s most prestigious speech competition designed to celebrate diverse young voices and the enduring power of orators.
Fourteen-year-old Hemara-Daniels from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa in Kaitaia was there defending his national title, and once again he won the Sir Turi Carroll Junior English category.
Ngā Manu Kōrero is divided into four categories, two for juniors (year 9 and 10) and two for seniors. There is Rāwhiti Ihaka Junior Reo Māori and Sir Turi Carroll which Hemara-Daniels took out.
Then there’s Pei Te Hurinui Jones Senior Reo Māori and Korimako Senior English, which up the difficulty by including an impromptu speech alongside the prepared speech, students receive their topic five minutes before their speech.
Hemara-Daniels said that would be his next challenge as he enters the senior division next year.
Another part of a great speech is - perhaps unexpectedly - physicality.
“Physicality can be a major point deduction or a major point enhancement, because the more messier you are the judges can’t really grasp on to your kōrero, so adding more cleaner and tidy actions can explain more of your kōrero,” Hemara-Daniels said.
Hemara-Daniels said in spite of pre-speech nerves after some exercises and a drink of water he was ready to “smash the stage”.
“Before I got on not going to lie I was actually really, really nervous, the pressure was way higher then last year,” he said.
Hemara-Daniels’ topic was “Welcome to Hawaiki,” although for the Te Tai Tokerau regional competition it was originally “Welcome to the Far North”.
“Had to change most of it most of it in the span of like three days because we’re not in the Far North anymore, but hei aha,” Hemara-Daniels said.
Hawaiki is the origin of Māori but he said it’s not just an island, it represents a connection to the roots of Māori. Then there is Hawaiki Hou or modern Hawaiki a concept that has caught on since the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti at the end of last year, Hemara-Daniels said it reminds Māori to reconnect with their roots.
“It’s more of the new world that us rangatahi and all the people that are here today, that we can create this future for our future generations.”
Hemara-Daniels said Hawaiki Hou is more of a concept but if he had to describe it... “Hawaiki is a place where our tamariki are fed and happy, where whānau don’t have to choose between putting food on the table and leaving the lights on. Hawaiki Hou where... struggle isn’t always the headline.”
Hemara-Daniels said he was proud of his achievement in winning back-to-back titles, but he sees it as just the beginning.
“In the future I want to keep building these skills and use my voice for the benefit of my iwi and my wider community. My hope is that my journey can inspire other rangatahi to believe in themselves and know they can achieve it too.
“I just want to mihi to my whānau, my kura and my teachers who stood by me and supported me all the way. Because these wins aren’t just mine it belongs to all of them too, because they believed in me and encouraged me.”
By RNZ
