Hundreds gathered in Kaihu, west of Whangārei, at the weekend to rededicate the 108-year-old wharenui Tama Te Uaua.
The wharenui was closed for 12 months for refurbishments. Marae chairperson Ray Hall said it is only the second time the building has been upgraded in its long history.
“Just over 12 months ago, we had to close the marae because of the state that it was in. Given that it has serviced this community for 108 years, it was well overdue for a refurbishment. He whare hou rua, it’s the second refurbishing.”
“So it was offlined for 12 months, we’ve just brought it back online today. He rā tino whakahirahira mo tō tātou nei hapori, me te iwi, me te hapū, me te whānau hoki,” Hall said.
Monika Toko, who has whakapapa connections to the marae, travelled from Auckland to attend the celebrations. She hopes the renovated marae will encourage whānau to reconnect and strengthen their ties.
“He wawata nui kia hoki mai te whānau ki te whakakaha i ngā taura here whakapapa, ki ngā hītori. Ki te whakapakari ki te whakawhanake i te reo e rere i waenga i ngā reanga katoa,” Toko said.
She also sees the rededication as an opportunity to increase cultural capacity among their whānau, especially the tamariki mokopuna, so that they know te reo and tikanga.
“Mōku ake, ko ngā taitamariki tetahi o ngā koanga ngākau. Kia mārama rātou ki ngā tikanga whakahere o te marae mai i te wharenui, tae noa ki tō tātou wharekai, te mōhio i ngā kawenga me te pupuri ki o tātou taonga tuku heke a o tātou tūpuna. Koira pea te whainga”
Kaikōrero present on the day shared their stories - their connections to whānau and to the marae, and the history of the people of Kaihu and surrounding areas.
Hall said the marae was originally established in response to the influenza pandemic of the early 1900s. He hopes the restored wharenui will now inspire rangatahi to revive traditional art forms such as whakairo.
“Our goal is to give our next generation a clean canvas. Our goal is to inspire them to bring back whakairo o te whare. So that’s why it looks like it is today… in the hope that they will lead a different iteration,” he said.
