March 28, 2021
Te Rau Karamu Marae new heart for Massey campus
Massey Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori, Professor Meihana Durie, says the new marae at the centre of the university’s Pukeahu campus in Wellington will enhance and enrich the experience of each and every Massey student.
Te Rau Karamu Marae was opened on Saturday, with the dawn ceremony led by Whanganui and Te Ātiawa tohunga.
Professor Durie says the marae and its whare, Te Whaioranga o Te Whaiao, bring to campus an inspiring space for staff, students, community and Iwi partners.
It builds on the historic legacy of Te Kuratini, which was established in 1977 on Buckle Street as part of the Wellington Polytechnic and became an important centre in the revitalisation of te reo Māori through classes run by the late Huirangi Waikerepuru, Te Ariki Mei and others.
The kaupapa for the whakairo in Te Whaioranga o Te Whaiao was developed with Dr Waikerepuru and the late Mereiwa Broughton, and executed by a team of artist-designers including Wi Taepa, Kura Puke, Saffronn Te Ratana, Hemi MacGregor, Maihi Potaka, Stuart Foster, Robert Jahnke, Israel Birch, Kurt Komene and Ngatai Taepa.
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