Te Kāhui Tākaro Māori is a collective of tākaro Māori practitioners and organisations committed to revitalising and embedding tākaro within regional play, active recreation, and sport systems across Aotearoa.
Learn more about the members of cohort one below.
At Ngā Taiohi o Te Rangitaupi, our approach to tākaro is about creating safe spaces for everyone to learn, grow and connect with our tikanga and taonga tuku iho. Tākaro is a vehicle for whānau to learn together, regardless of age, bringing our people into spaces where culture, learning and play can thrive.
For us, tākaro is about walking our pepeha, not just talking it. Through kēmu, waiata and wānanga, we take our tamariki and rangatahi into the whenua, connecting them with our maunga, awa, marae and wāhi tapu. We bring our kōrero tuku iho to life, creating moments where whānau can recognise what they already know and reconnect with places that hold our whakapapa.
We believe tākaro is for everybody. Our taiao is the papatākaro, and through playful and meaningful experiences, we open pathways for whānau to reconnect with whenua and each other. Our kaumātua have woven nuggets of mātauranga into waiata, kōrero and everyday play taonga that continue to teach, connect and bring our people together across generations.
At Sport Northland, our Whaiao team’s approach to tākaro is simple - tākaro is ingrained in our DNA! Whaiao speaks to moving from the unknown into knowing, a constant pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment alongside the whānau we serve.
Pārete is the philosophy that guides us. As Nau Epiha says, “Ehara taku mahi i te ako, he Pārete kē.” Pārete represents the first waka that broke the wave and set the course for those that followed. It is about guiding and being guided - a kaupapa that underpins all we do!
For us, one of the fundamentals of tākaro is whanaungatanga. Not just in the sense of connection between people, but as energy, resonance, and frequency. Currently much of our mahi is with netball, embedding mātauranga, tikanga mahi, and tikanga whakaaro into all aspects of tākaro to enhance Māori wellbeing.
At Te Kete Hauora o Rangitāne, our approach to tākaro is centredon our rangatahi — because tākaro grows future leaders. To us, investing in ourrangatira mō āpōpō means creating kaitākaro who are confident to take up roleson the marae, as kaikaranga, kaikōrero, ringawera, and supporting confident reospeakers.
Kī o Rahi is currently a major drawcard for us. Through this game, weintroduce tamariki to local Rangitāne pūrākau, now integrated with theTawakeroa health model and the seven pou representing each pou within the kēmu.
Taonga tākaro enables us to deliver tākaro into schools, weaving te reoMāori into play, encouraging maximum exposure and participation. Tamariki learnhaka, waiata, and pūrākau through tākaro, connecting culture, language, andmovement in every session!
At Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa, our approach to tākaro is rooted in Te Arawatanga, a Te Arawa-centric way of playing, learning, and growing.
Through kōrero o nehe and whakapapa-based approaches, all kēmu, kōrero and mātauranga are delivered through a local Te Arawa lens. We believe tākaro is mātauranga in practice and a foundational vehicle across whare wānanga, where skills and knowledge can grow.
Indigenous excellence is a central focus, where we also aim to build an athletic pathway, using tākaro to identify talent and cultivate whakapapa-informed athletic skills. These pathways lead to indigenous tākaro events and competitions, connecting movement, culture, and identity.
At Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti, our approach to tākaro carries our taonga tuku iho! Whakapapa is the anchor of our mahi - culturally rich, inclusive, grounded, and central to how we transmit kōrero and whakapapa through play.
As descendants of Māui in our region, connected to Hikurangi maunga, our programmes, activities, and initiatives are tied to our local pūrākau as the foundation of our identity and practice. Tākaro is te reo, waiata, haka; it is puta ki waho, play with words, our banter — that’s our kind of play too!
Tākaro is a new word for us, we use pūrei! Intergenerational pūrei honours what we remember, recall, and recollect as we play together across generations. It is the katakata o ngā kuia and the menemene o ngā mokopuna.
At Kōkiri Marae Keriana Olsen Trust, our approach to tākaro is guided by the vision and purpose of those that laid the foundation of the place. One of the basic objectives of the trust being “to keep our culture alive.” tākaro and kēmu are exceptional vehicles for doing this.
Two initiatives we are a part of facilitating and assisting in the development are; Ngā Rā o Kupe a Kaupapa we are developing that will enable whānau/community to learn and participate in Waka sailing, and secondly a collaborative project funded by the LEGO foundation and guided by Indigenous approaches to construct a papa tākaro at Wainuiomata Marae alongside the community.
Rangatahi Tū Rangatira (one of many Kokiri Marae services) is a kaupapa that has been involved in tākaro for many years and facilitates activities in the community. We want to see tākaro and kēmu in every space and place across our community. We also want to see others become the knowledge holders for their whānau and the next generation. ‘Tākaro ki te Ao!'
At Hawaiki Kura, our approach to tākaro is grounded in using taonga tuku iho as rongoā – ancestral treasures as pathways to healing and transformation. Our sacred intent is to use laughter as medicine, to reawaken the inner tamaiti within us all.
Our ultimate vision is Hawaiki Ora, where Hawaiki Tū (cultural reclamation), Hawaiki Āio (collective healing), and Hawaiki Hono Mai (deep connection to community) are all in abundance.
We draw on taonga tākaro, taonga puoro, mau patu and haka fusion to shift mauri and lift ihirangaranga. Because if we reindigenise the way we move, we reindigenise the way we think!
At Toi Tangata, our approach to tākaro is grounded in the reclamation, application and transmission of mātauranga Māori through play. When we bring our pūrākau to life through play, movement and physical activity, we bring our tūpuna to life!
We believe tākaro is a pathway to oranga tangata — fostering wellbeing, identity, and belonging. Its ultimate kura huna is the deep knowing of who you are and how you move in relationship with others and the taiao.
When we embrace tākaro ki te taiao, the natural world ignites imagination and sparks creativity. A world where play is guided by curiosity, connection to place, and the endless exploration of who we are.
