Iwi gather as pou return to Te Marae o Hine
Ma¯ori guardians have returned to the central city after taking a break from keeping watch.
Erected on the side of the Palmerston North City Council facing Te Marae o Hine/the Square, three pou were welcomed back, and two for the first time, to the heart of the city yesterday afternoon.
Almost 100 people attended the event, that was monitored due to alert level 2 Covid restrictions, to bless the pou, rededicate the kaupapa of Temarae o Hine and solidify the strong relationship between Rangita¯ne, Raukawa and the council.
In 2017 threema¯ori figures, that had guarded the outside wall of
Palmerston North’s City Council chamber since 1990, were taken down to be given new life.
Rangita¯ne and his grandmothers, Reretua and Hinerau, were restored by Manawatu¯ Museum Services conservation specialist Detlef Klein and the aim was to return them in 2018. Delays put this off until yesterday.
Two additional pou were carved by Warren Warbrick of Rangita¯ne.
Wiremu Kingi Te Awe Awe of
Rangita¯ne and Manaaki Tibble of Nga¯ti Raukawa blessed the pou as a taonga of Te Marae o Hine.
Peter Te Rangi of Rangita¯ne and Hayden Turoa of Nga¯ti Raukawaweaved their respective iwi narrative of the story of Te Marae o Hine, the Courtyard of the Daughter of Peace.
Rangita¯ne tipuna Te Peeti Te Awe Awe helped to bestow the name on the marae alongside rangitira from other surrounding iwi. He hoped the courtyard would be the foundation of ‘‘friendship’’ for cultures to co-exist, and hoped future mokopuna would ensure this remains.
Mayor Grant Smith supported their rendition of the kaupapa Temarae o Hine was founded on 141 years ago.
‘‘The central place is where we can all come together. Te Marae o Hine is a city centre place and represents the foundations of love.
‘‘The nature of these carvings reaffirms its mana.’’