Tamatea stories brought to life
Storyboards placed on historic pa¯ sites share history with visitors
Nga Ara Tipuna, a cultural heritage project in Central Hawke's Bay, reached a milestone this week, with the specially crafted pieces that will bring the stories of Tamatea and its people to life being installed across seven historic sites.
Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea chairman Dr Roger Maaka said Nga Ara Tipuna will enable the history of Tamatea to be learned, understood and acknowledged, in a way that is unique in New Zealand.
“As well as sharing knowledge with our wider population and bringing visitors to our rohe, it will enable us to make our history real for our rangatahi, so they can understand how it relates to them and where they are today, and give them a good grounding to become mentors for the next generation.”
This week's installation signalled the near-completion of five years of planning and construction by Mana Whenua hapu¯ and Central Hawke's Bay District Council,
on what will be a nationally significant cultural and educational treasure, says mana whenua lead, Brian Morris.
Nga Ara Tipuna focuses on significant historical pa sites in Tamatea (Central Hawke's Bay),
with information either at the former pa¯ sites or looking across them. The sites are: Pukekaihau Pa¯ , Moana-i-Rokia Pa¯, Kaimanawa Pa¯, Ruatangaroa Pa¯, Kaitoroa Pa¯, Te Waipukurau Pa¯ and Lake Whatuma¯.
At each site storyboards, recreations of original features, artwork, and links to online resources will tell the story of the tipuna who lived there, and what their natural world would have looked like.
The key site is Pukekaihau Pa, in Hunter Memorial Park in Waipukurau. A whare ko¯ rero at the base of the hill will welcome visitors, after which a short walk will take them to the pa¯ site atop the hill. With views across the rohe, a signature pou, re-created lengths of palisade, extensive story boards and links to online resources accessed using mobile devices, the site will give visitors ‘the big picture'.
“This is for our local people and our visitors, so they can understand the place where they live and what's beneath their feet. We do that by sharing stories of our t¯ıpuna who walked this land hundreds of years ago; feeding
their families, building seasonal and permanent homes, travelling — all the things we do today, but in a vastly different way that was tied intrinsically to the land,” says Morris.
Central Hawke's Bay mayor Alex Walker says the project will create opportunities across Central Hawke's Bay.
“This partnership project is an outstanding example of the unique way we work together with Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea and mana whenua,” she said.
“Storytelling is so powerful in bringing places such as Pukekaihau to life and for re-shaping the assumptions that we all make about the place we live in and its history.
“This project will etch the important place of mana whenua on our landscape and enrich our people in so many ways and we are proud to have been working hand in hand with Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea and hapu¯ representatives to develop Nga Ara Tipuna, to see Tamatea reawakened.”
Physical works started in earnest last year, when Government announced it would contribute $2.8 million to the project, through its Provincial Growth Fund. Initially intended to open in early-2021, Covid had pushed the official opening to later in 2021, with a date due to be announced within weeks.
As well as being a resource enabling local residents to learn about the district's history, Nga¯ Ara Tipuna will be marketed as a tourism attraction.
While all sites will be open to the public to take self-guided tours, the trust being formed to manage it will develop guided tours which will expand on the information available on site.