Naomi Herewini-Houia

Lecturer

Naomi Herewini-Houia

Te Whānau a Apanui, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngai Tūhoe

Lecturer - Ngā Mahi a Rehia Masters papers

Qualifications

Masters of Applied Indigenous knowledge - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Post Graduate Certificate in Te Reo Māori - University of Waikato

B.A (Education) - Te Wānanga o Raukawa

Diploma in Teaching - Te Wānanga o Raukawa

Certificate in Computing - Te Wānanga o Raukawa

Certificate in Arataki Manu Kōrero - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Certificate in Adult Education - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Assessor and Moderator Certificate (4098, 11551, 11552) - Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

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“I am passionate about all things of Te Ao Māori…I strive to be a skilled advocate for kapa haka, Te Reo me ōna tikanga. I strive to ensure Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi leads the way in māori education within Aotearoa, particularly within the mātauranga of haka Māori Performing Arts. I am thankful for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi giving me the ability to attain a job where my skills and passion can be utilised.”

Hailing from Te Kaha in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Naomi Herewini-Houia is dedicated to sharing the art of kapa haka, waiata, haka, mōteatea, poi, and waiata-a-ringa with tauira.

Her expertise lies in Māori Performing Arts — she is a composer, tutor, performer, supporter, advocate, and an educator of kapa haka, from primary through to tertiary levels across Aotearoa, including Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Mataatua, and Te Tauihu. She is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori, which grounds her approach to education within a Mātauranga Māori context.

Born into Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui is, Naomi has performed with her whānau for more than 20 years, under the tutelage of well-respected mentors Te Ao Muhurangi Maaka Jones, Wiremu Tawhai, Te Huikau Emma Rogers, and Rikirangi Gage. During her studies at Waikato University, she joined the Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato Kapa Haka and was tutored by Timoti Karetu, Joe Harawira and other renowned experts in the field. She was also part of the Turanga Wāhine Turanga Tane Kapa Haka team, guided by Rob Ruha and others. To date, her Kapa Haka career has seen her perform at The Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hawaii, to name a few. Her Masters exegesis focused on researching her own hapū and our waiata, haka, and composers, and she was awarded a scholarship from Te Matatini - Kapa Haka Aotearoa.

Naomi is currently involved as a performer with Taniwharau Kapa Haka, a group tutored by the late Tainui exponent Tomairangi Paki and which has been rebirthed under Kingi Tuheitia.

Over the years, she has taught at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Wakatu Incorporation, and primary schools in Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Since joining Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in 2013, Naomi has been involved in a variety of roles. She was previously a lecturer of the Ngā Mana Whakairo a Toi programme within the the Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts degree, where she used her skills and knowledge of kapa haka to ensure the discipline’s academic recognition. She was also Programme Coordinator Teaching and Learning - Te Pōkaitahi Reo Programmes; and Student Support Advisor in the Awhi Tauira team.

Today, as lecturer of two Ngā Mahi a Rehia Masters papers offered as a pathway to the Masters of Māori Studies degree at Awanuiārangi, her focus will be on sharing with, and teaching, tauira the art form that is kapa haka through applied practice and knowledge.

Research areas of focus