Schoolchildren celebrate Maori culture

St Joseph’s School pupils Indeg Jones-Hogan (8, left) and Eva Keno (8) perform at the Oamaru Opera House yesterday, during the North Otago Kaupapa Maori Festival 2017.

More than 800 pupils from 16 area schools performed in the biennial festival to promote Maori language and beliefs which was organised by Resource Teacher of Maori in Otago Services’ Lauana Thomas, Tu Mai Ora’s Suzi Flack and Te Wananga O Aotearoa. Te Runanga o Moeraki representatives Nola Tipa and David Higgins acted as comperes.