The Takitimu Festival drew on iwi and Pacific nations affiliated to the Takitimu waka, which migrated from the Pacific to Aotearoa over 500 years ago. The inaugural festival in 2009 attracted more than 3,000 people with a huge range of musical performers, as well as workshops and activities showcasing the uniqueness of each nation, whether through history, business, food, music, art or craft. The pōwhiri followed months of rehearsals to utilise local people keen to participate, and according to executive director, Tama Huata it was “quite a spectacle, a real acknowledgement of the kinship which connects us all to the Takitimu waka”.