February 09, 2021
New fund to protect marae matauranga
A new fund has opened to support Māori with projects that safeguard their mātauranga and taonga on marae from the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni says even before the global pandemic, mātauranga and taonga held on marae were at risk because of low numbers of mātauranga holders and the limited financial resources available to support preservation.
The $5.7 million Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora Fund will support a range of marae-based projects including the development of conservation plans for whare and wharenui arts, the establishment of harvest areas for cultural materials such as pā harakeke and tōtara, and the preservation of taonga such as waka tīwai, korowai and photographs.
Funding is also available to assist with the creation of archives, small whare taonga or publications as a way to both preserve and provide access to mātauranga and taonga on marae.
The fund is part of a wider $20 million Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme announced December 2020, including 18 diverse initiatives to support iwi, hapū and Māori communities to safeguard at risk mātauranga Māori and protect indigenous knowledge from the threat of COVID-19.
Full details about the Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora Fund and how to apply are available on the Te Tari Taiwhenua funding websitehttps://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/the-matauranga-maori-marae-ora-fund.
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