TE AWA NEUMANN

Te Awa Neumann
Photographer: Jos Wheeler

TAIOHI 2021

Onekainga te maunga
Wairahi te awa
Whakapaumahara te marae
Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka
Te Whanau whero me te kauri mua ōku hāpu
Ngāti wai me Ngāti Hine ngā iwi
Ko Bernard me Kiri ōku matua
Ko Te Awa League Neumann taku ingoa

Te Awa is a performing artist and a visual artist.

He particularly enjoys his kapa haka and painting. He is also involved in the tuakana teina programme at his secondary school and he loves being a positive role model to those younger than him.

A thirst to learn more about his culture drives Te Awa specifically to learn more waiata from Te Taitokerau. He’d also like to understand the whakaaro behind the arts both in kapa haka and in painting as he knows this will help his understanding and development of toi Māori.

Te Awa’s aunties have been a major influence on him and he enjoys collaborating with them. They are very creative artists and hold wānanga for the youth at the marae or other venues to keep the knowledge alive and ongoing.