Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe Claims E Tipu E Rea Trophy at National Ngā Manu Kōrero

Young orators from Northland have achieved a historic victory on the national stage at the 61st Ngā Manu Kōrero national speech competition. Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe, which hosted the prestigious event at Papa Hawaiki this week, was awarded the E Tipu E Rea trophy for achieving the highest aggregate points across both the Māori and English speaking sections. The competition, which concluded on Thursday, saw all four representatives from the Kaikohe kura place in their respective categories. Among the individual standouts was Arihia Phillips, who won the junior English Tā Turi Kara section. Fellow student Ngataitangirua Hita also earned national recognition by winning the award for best impromptu speech in the senior Māori Pei Te Hurinui section. Ngaire Tauhara-White, Chairwoman of the Te Reo o Te Tai Tokerau Trust, described the week as a significant success. The event featured more than 60 speakers representing 15 regions from across Aotearoa. According to Tauhara-White, the competition provided a vital platform for rangatahi to share their perspectives and challenges through language, whether in English or te reo Māori. Local support for the event was high, with schools from throughout the Tai Tokerau region attending the opening pōwhiri and the various competition sessions. The impromptu section was noted as a particular highlight, drawing large crowds to witness the students' ability to think and speak under pressure. While national titles were distributed among students from across the country, the host school's collective performance underscored the strength of oratory talent in the Far North. The national competition is set to move to the South Island in 2028.