THE MARAE PERSPECTIVE

Marae are the last bastion of the communal nature of Ma¯ori society. A place where kinship is our only criteria for full membership and participation in affairs that affect that community.

This is a pre-European institution, brought by our Ma¯ori ancestors from Hawaiki, and continues to be sustained by successive generations.

At Ahipara we currently have three active marae — Wainui, Roma and Korou Kore — all of which have tap roots into the history and culture of our past that stretches back to the time of Kupe, the great Polynesian explorer.

Consequently, the wha¯nau and hapu¯ that are affiliated to each of the marae have also lived in Ahipara for many generations. Thus the historical chronology of the Far North is filled with stories and sayings of our ancestors that go back

"On the Tauroa Peninsula and Te Oneroa a Tohe there are numerous sites of significance to our marae. Some of them are still sacred, but each one requires a degree of management and protection."