The Ngāti Awa Te Toki Festival originated from within the heart of Ngāti Awa, beginning as a visionary idea that evolved into a collective movement to reclaim, revitalise, and celebrate our unique cultural identity.

In 2009, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa launched an iwi vision for 2050:
‘Ko Ngāti Awa te Toki, tē tangatanga i te rā, tē ngohengohe i te wai’, meaning Ngāti Awa is the adze whose bindings cannot be loosened by the sun nor softened by the rain.

This vision embodies Ngāti Awa’s enduring strength and resilience, guiding the iwi’s aspiration to uphold cultural identity, foster unity, and enhance the well-being of our whānau, hapū, and marae. Central to achieving this vision are four strategic pou:

· Tūrangawaewae – A secure place to stand
· Tū Pakari – Strength and stability
· Toi Ora – Cultural vitality
· Mauri Ora – Well-being of our people and environment

Te Toki emerged through courageous leadership and collective determination, responding proactively to the urgent need to strengthen Ngāti Awa’s cultural capacity and identity. This bold vision laid foundations for a lasting legacy built on unity, resilience, and collective pride.

In the lead-up to the inaugural Te Toki Festival in 2014, our hapū and marae identified first-hand the diminishing capability and resources available to sustain daily tribal obligations. They recognised an opportunity to empower Ngāti Awa uri by enhancing their skills, knowledge, and cultural confidence through traditional and contemporary practices, including:

· Whaikōrero
· Karanga
· Tito waiata me ngā kōrero-ā-hapū
· Wero
· Haka
· Te Tū Waewae o Ngāti Awa
· Waiata mōteatea
· Whakairo tāonga
· Te tuitui kākahu me ngā korowai
· Te whakapiki i te angitū o Ngāti Awa hei iwi kotahi
· Te tū-ā-iwi kia waipiro-kore, kia auahi-kore

The festival aims to create and inspire a genuine desire among Ngāti Awa uri to explore their identity, fostering deeper pride in their heritage. Te Toki Festival provides a platform for hapū to assert their ancestral rights, celebrating their individual hapūtanga and shared Ngāti Awatanga.

Ultimately, Ngāti Awa Te Toki (“Te Toki”) directly aligns with and supports Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s strategic objectives of Tūrangawaewae, Cultural Identity, and Connectivity, delivering meaningful benefits to Ngāti Awa uri as its primary audience.