Te Waka Huia has set a standard from the very start, and has since gone on to set records admired and envied throughout the country in the history of Traditional Maori Performing Arts.

Te Waka Huia primarily consists of people who hail from other cities throughout New Zealand, who are staunch on preserving some of their rural and marae based values and life-styles. Essentially, Te Waka Huia is a means of facilitating a need to remain in touch with their wa-kainga (place of origin) while carving out an existence for their families in what could otherwise be an anonymous city environment. Generally Te Waka Huia is perceived by the community as a competitive group. To members however, competition is seen as a means to facilitate their needs in portraying Maori Performing Arts at its best and setting the standards for the future generations.