The University of Auckland’s Tūtahi Tonu Marae formerly located in Epsom has now been opened in its new home on the city campus.
Tūtahi Tonu Marae has been a second home for the past 40 years for many students studying to become teachers, and now Auckland University is host to two marae within its city campus.
Tūtahi Tonu Marae steward Bruce Taplin is a former student of the university and was a part of the wero when the whare was first opened in 1983.
He says the marae has been a safe haven for those studying at Auckland University over the years.
“He whare ruruhau tēnei mō ngā ākonga māori e kuhu ana ki Waipapa Taumata Rau. Nōreira ka kuhu mai ngā ākonga ki roto i tēnei whare ki te poipoi, ki te akiaki, ki te aha rānei ki te whakatau a wairua.”
This is a safe haven for Māori students coming into the University of Auckland. So if a student were to come here to this house, they were nurtured, supported and spirits settled.
‘Live, breathe and exercise mana’
Tūtahi Tonu has been a home of nurture for student teachers in Auckland for the past 40 years and alumni Karena Stephens-Wilson says its aspirations are still held within its walls.
“So we’re really looking at a safe space for them to be able to live, breathe and exercise their mana as Māori.”
Last year Tūtahi Tonu marae was put to rest at its original site in Epsom due to the closure of the teachers’ college.
Stephens-Wilson says the vital essence of the meeting house lives on, no matter what.
“E ora tonu ana, nō te mea ko ngā whakairo, ngā whakairo tawhito. Ahakoa he whare hou, ko ngā taonga, he taonga i tuku iho mai i Tūtahi Tonu i Maungawhau ki Waipapa.”
It is still alive because the carvings inside are restored pieces. Even though it’s a new marae, the treasures have been bought over from Epsom to the city campus.
No changes needed
Master carver Arekatera Maihi was a part of the project of restoring the meeting house’s original carvings and said the mana and meaning of the carvings were so great, no changes were needed.
“Ka whakaaro pēnei ngā ringawhao, kāre mātou e panonihia ngā āhuatanga o te whakairo. Me tū tika ki ngā mea tawhito.”
All of the carvers thought similarly. We didn’t want to change anything about the carvings. It needed to be just like the original.
Over the years Tūtahi Tonu marae has also been a centre of fostering the language in the next generation of its speakers. Taplin says, even now despite turbulent times, their whare still stands.
“Ko te mea nui kua whakatuwheratia anō tō tātou whare, i ngā tau i mua ko te raruraru pea, ko te whakaaro raruraru ka aukati tō tātou whare. Nōreira i tēnei wā ko te mea nui kua kī anō.”
The main thing is our house is open again. Over the years the biggest struggle or the troubling thought was our marae would be closed. So the main thing now is, it is filled again.