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        <datestamp>2010-01-21T19:51:12Z</datestamp>
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          <dc:identifier>http://ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info/site/topics/show/215-waka-ama-sprint-nationals-2010</dc:identifier>
          <dc:title>Waka Ama Sprint Nationals 2010</dc:title>
          <dc:publisher>ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info</dc:publisher>
          <dc:description><![CDATA[Annual Waka Ama Sprint Nationals being held at Lake Karapiro from Monday 18th January 2010 to Saturday 23rd January 2010.]]></dc:description>
          <dc:description><![CDATA[
With the 2010 Waka Ama Sprint Nationals heading our way at Lake Karapiro, more than 2300 paddlers from 75 clubs will take to the water and compete over five days of competition starting with the Powhiri on Monday 18th January 2010.&nbsp; The junior races beginning on Tuesday 19th January 2010 and the main adult races taking place on Friday and Saturday.
Feature races this year will open men and women's 500m and also the gruelling 1500m which requires the paddler to turn every 250m, this is a skill that if done well can be performed in as little as seven seconds - this means that if the turn is not done well then the nature of the race can change very quickly.&nbsp;
Unlike many other codes, waka ama is a real whanau orientated sport where families can take part in one way or another with some of the youngest competitors being just age seven, so it is vital that families get behind these youngsters for support.
So, what is Waka Ama?&nbsp; 
Taken from the Ngaa Kaihoe o Aotearoa Inc &nbsp;website, is an overview of the history of waka ama in Aotearoa.
http://www.wakaama.co.nz/nkoa/attachments/waka_ama_guidelines.pdf
Waka Ama or outrigger canoes have always been an integral part of the culture of Pacific people. In Aotearoa, after initial settlement by the first Polynesian voyagers, Waka design and use went through a number of evolutionary stages. This was due to the difference in trees available to build Waka. Therefore Waka eventually, because of the size of the huge trees in Aotearoa, became single hulled and did not require the addition of an outrigger float or Ama to maintain the hull in an upright position.
Over a period of hundreds of years, Waka Ama gradually went into decline in Aotearoa.&nbsp; In the 20th century, M&auml;ori travelled to Pacific Islands such as Hawaii and Tahiti, and saw that the culture of Waka Ama racing was still being maintained in these places. And so, by the mid-1980's, the seed was sown to revive the culture of Waka Ama in Aotearoa.&nbsp; Initially called T&auml;tou Hoe o Aotearoa, the Waka Ama Association was made up of only two founding member clubs - Ng&auml; Hoe Horo in the North, and Mareikura on the East Coast. From these humble beginnings, Ng&auml; Kaihoe has grown into an organization that boasts six regional members and a constantly growing list of clubs developing in every region. A clear example of how the sport has developed is witnessed at the annual week-long National Waka Ama Championships, which now attracts upwards of 1,200 competitors.&nbsp; As the participating numbers have grown, so too has a need for Ng&auml; Kaihoe o Aotearoa to address certain aspects regarding the safety and well-being of its members. We are happy to have forged a good relationship with the Maritime Safety Authority and, together with new alliances with groups such as Ng&auml; Waka Federation, we have been able to develop guidelines for safety in Waka Ama use for the paddlers of Aotearoa.
Waka Ama in the Pacific
E Kore ahau e ngaro, He k&auml;kano i ruia mai, I Rangi&auml;tea
I shall never be forgotten, For I am the seed that was sown, In Rangi&auml;tea
This ancient saying sums up the origins of the M&auml;ori people and tells of their pride and respect for their ancestors who traversed the great Pacific Ocean from Rangi&auml;tea (Ra'iatea), which was one of their ancient homelands.
The culture of the canoe or Waka is culturally significant and important for M&auml;ori. Most M&auml;ori trace their origins to ancestors who migrated here in voyaging Waka. Therefore, stories of great explorers and navigators such as Kupe who was sailing the Pacific 1,000 years ago and discovered Aotearoa, or New Zealand, reinforce a strong heritage for the M&auml;ori. Not only do these stories expound the knowledge and daring of ancestors such as Kupe, they provide direct links to many of the islands throughout the Pacific, and re-establish the links between the cultures that all originate from the same place in Pacific history.
Ocean voyaging on a canoe is an often-romanticised activity. However, the dangers and difficulties faced by the first voyagers were real, and their Waka needed to be strong and seaworthy. The Waka was, therefore, the basis of the community. Once a land had been settled and voyaging decreased, the Waka became the vehicle by which life was sustained, for fishing, trading and transportation. Often the Waka would be used for leisure purposes as well.
Today, the world has moved away from the dependency it once had on craft such as Waka, although in many places and cultures it still plays an important part in everyday life. In Aotearoa, the Waka is still used in ceremonial and official functions as well as recreational uses such as racing. The growth and development of the sport of Waka Ama in Aotearoa is a good example. Hosting the World Championships in 1990 rekindled the flame, and in ten years the sport has grown tremendously. The development has been such that the sport has touched many people from different cultures and they all share in the history and traditions of the ancestors.
The strong Waka history and the fact that many M&auml;ori still retain their ancient Waka histories and traditions reflects the power of Waka as a means of identity and pride. From the first navigators, to the settlement made by subsequent voyaging Waka to today, the M&auml;ori are proud to acknowledge that they are a maritime people and that they will not be forgotten. The Waka will ensure that the traditions and histories of the ancestors are not forgotten and do not become whispers on the ocean. Waka are like needles, Islands are like flowers. The Waka of old have sewn the Islands of the Pacific together. Today the Waka is sewing together the people of the world.
]]></dc:description>
          <dc:date>2010-01-17T21:34:11Z</dc:date>
          <dc:creator>stardust</dc:creator>
          <dc:contributor>stardust</dc:contributor>
          <dc:coverage>Waikato</dc:coverage>
          <dc:subject>Waka Ama Sprint Nationals 2010</dc:subject>
          <dc:description/>
          <dc:subject><![CDATA[Waka Ama Sprint Nationals 2010 - Waikato Times article (Wednesday 20 January 2010)]]></dc:subject>
          <dc:relation>http://ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info/site/topics/show/216</dc:relation>
          <dc:subject><![CDATA[Waka Ama Sprint Nationals 2010 - Waikato Times article (Thurs 21 Jan 2010)]]></dc:subject>
          <dc:relation>http://ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info/site/topics/show/217</dc:relation>
          <dc:type>InteractiveResource</dc:type>
          <dc:subject><![CDATA[waka ama]]></dc:subject>
          <dc:subject><![CDATA[Lake Karapiro]]></dc:subject>
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