A large crowd of Ngāti Te Ata descendants welcomed Te Arikinui and her cohort to open a new wharekai after decades of struggle.
Tāhuna Kaitoto Marae has been without a functional facility for 25 years and has since laboured for its restoration through fundraising, funding, and donations.
The name of the wharekai, Te Ata i Rēhia, refers to a prominent female tūpuna of the iwi, the rangatira from whom the iwi also derived its name.
A long-awaited dream, the day was filled with laughter, waiata, and sincere whaikōrero.
Kahurangi Malcom, chair of the marae funding board, says the impact of the moment went beyond words.
“Kua roa mātou e tunu ana, e whakatū tēneki ana ki ngā whare hanga, engari ināianei, i te tūnga o tō mātou whare, tō tātou whare, Te Ata i Rēhia, kei te kite au i ngā kaupapa ka hoki mai ki te marae,” she says.
“Ināianei ka taea ngā whānau te hoki mai me te whakatū i ērā kaupapa ki konei.”
During Poukai, tangihanga, and gatherings, Malcom says the iwi has had to rely on other facilities or marae, such as Reretēwhioi.
She points out that finishing the building wasn’t the only task at hand, but also securing new infrastructure and financial stability to make the marae fully functional. With tears in her eyes, she expressed profound relief for future generations.
“Kāore au i te mahara ki te wharekai o mua, ko tērā te rongoā kua noho wharekai kore tēnei marae. Inaianei ka kore aku tamariki e rongo i tērā ahuatanga i kōnei, ka kore ngā tamariki-mokopuna o tēnei marae e rongo i tērā āhuatanga,” she says.
Signing a Commitment to the Kīngitanga
During the ceremony, the iwi signed a kawenata (covenant) between themselves and the Kīngitanga to refresh their commitment to the monarch.
Rāhui Papa, Maangai o te Kiingitanga, says Ngāti Te Ata have been long-term supporters of the movement since its inception.
“Heke iho mai rā i roto i ngā whakatupuranga, nō reira ko te Kīngitanga tēnei kua huihui mai nei ki te taha o te hunga pēnei te kaunihera o Tāmaki, pēnei i te hunga nā rātou te whare i hanga, kua whakakotahi mai i tēnei rā. Koinā ko te whakamīharotanga o tēnei mea o te hao o te Kīngitanga kia kotahi tātou.”
Following a rich line of traditions upheld across generations—with Kiingi Taawhiao having opened the wharenui, Te Atairangikaahu the renovation, and Kiingi Tuheitia the kōhanga reo—Te Arikinui’s visit marks the next chapter.
“Kua tae mai tō tātou ariki nui ki te tomo i te wharekai, nō reira he rā whakanui tēnei kua neke atu i te rua tekau tau e mokemoke ana te whare nei. Nō reira e ora ana te ngākau, kua kitea ngā raiti e kā mai ana ngā tū kūaha e tūwhera,” says Papa.
