Upon his appointment to Headmaster in 2010, Mr Grant Lander believed the school needed an appropriate haka for use on occasions of great significance, welcome, lament or visitation. He approached former student and ex Head Boy Te Aro Moxon (School 1998-2002) to write a haka that would be unique to the school.
The haka he wrote is the only biblical-based haka written in the world.
“When Mr Lander approached me to write the haka, I thought it was important to go to the ancient sources of the story of Saint Paul in the Māori Bible to try to discover the essence of the Apostle. In particular his phrase, “stand firm in the faith”, which is the motto of the school, was crucial to developing the essence of the haka,” says Dr Moxon – who is now working as a doctor in Paediatrics at Waikato Hospital.
A haka is an iconic Māori action, the dance of noble people, seeking to embody and express the mana, meaning and strength of the group who perform it. “The main point of this haka is that, following the example of Saint Paul, we can be challenged about the dark side of our past, we can be healed and forgiven by the risen Christ and we can learn to stand firm in the faith, to bring new life to the world,” says Dr Moxon.
The school haka is written in the context of Waikato and the regions’ distinguished heritage of Tainui Chieftainship, with the river and the land.
It was first performed in 2010 by the boarding houses, with the day houses performing just parts of it. The first full inter-house haka competition was held in 2011. There is a girls’ version that was performed for the first time at the Old Collegians Girls’ 25th Jubilee celebrations in 2010. The 1st XV and Sargood House also have their own individual hakas.
“While there was some scepticism at the start around having a school haka, it was also felt a haka that was orientated around the history of St Paul’s and purpose, and written by a past Head Boy, would create a huge unifying benefit for the school as a whole – and this has proved to be the case,” says Mr Lander.
Since its introduction, the school haka has been performed at funeral services, at sports’ competitions both nationally and internationally, to welcome special guests and visitors to the school and each year it is performed at the school’s Pōwhiri service to welcome new students and staff on the first day of the school year. The Tihoi students perform it at Whanganui Bay, as part of the whakatau that is performed on the local marae after each of the boys have completed their mihi, as well as for parents and staff as a thank you at the conclusion of the Tihoi graduation ceremony.
“In my mind, the performance of the haka is the litmus test of our school and culture. I am really proud of the positive and enthusiastic way in which students have embraced it and the passion and energy which they put into it. So many have commented on its spine-tingling impact when our students perform the haka, both inside and outside the school grounds,” says Mr Lander.
