Lecture 7- Marae Flashcards
Marae
-Definitions of time
-Traditionally a complex of building encompassing whare, funeral place, dining hall
-Place of cultural belonging –> people always come back to them (like home)
-Gives connection to other people (related + whakapapa)
Lapita Culture
-Proto-Austronesian (ancestors of Māori) moved from the west and migrated into the eastern parts of the pacific
-Proto-Austronesians known for expert navigation
-Explored a lot of the pacific
Language + cultural traditions of these islands are similar –> serving as evidence for this exploration.
Development of marae
-Further exploration east/ pacific = marae begin to appear.
-Formal structures purposed for celestial navigation: sharing of information about the ocean and navigation is a big part of the cultural of maraes originally
-[Is]land-based constants to fix latitude while at sea.
-~30 generations ago developed into highly ritualised spaces –> knowledge associated with the marae becomes restricted/ privileged
Taputapuātea
-Located on the island Ra’iātea
-Most ancient marae/ early original marae : point of denature for exploratory voyages into other parts of the pacific, and a point to return to in order to communicate knowledge gained.
-A liken to a university for explored = a place of knowledge building and sharing of that knowledge to wider community.
-Use Waita (song) to communicate and these have survived today
-Looks different to the marae we see today
Marae upon arriving to Aotearoa and Te
Waipounamu
-Complex social spaces, governed by traditional practices.
- Communities within which kin lived – pā, pā kāinga, papa kāinga (words that would use for village)
- Marae were the most important spaces (very public —> central place of community where everything was done).
-Ceremonial courtyard - marae ātea
-Marae a space of chiefly authority; people, along with their rangatira engage in rituals of encounter with other communities.
-Rangatira in close proximity to the marae ātea.
Marae ātea
-Marae ātea central to the pā
-Provided a space to wānanga and communicate knowledge about (e.g.)
whakapapa, tikanga.
-Rangatira
Tūāhu
-Ritual statue
-Remained a place of tapu
-Tohunga
Two separate place places of the marae
-Tūāhu = hidden away/ restricted
-ātea = a place where wider community can see what is going on
-Separation served well as knowledge housed within the Tūāhu was kept away from the influence of colonization.
-Not separate in the pacific, distinction more clear when come to NZ
European arrival
-Many marae communities moved to areas to conveniently access port
locations
-Strategic – economic opportunities, engage with outside world that came with European arrival
E.g. Bay of Islands, Whaling/Sealing stations in Te Waipounamu
Marae as a political hub
-Hapu level is where the political decisions are made. Rangatira are not making decisions with there own interests in mind –> they are representing and respected by the people/ community. It is through the Rangatira that power of the people is executed.
-Multiple hapū may belong to one marae. Marae hub for these discussions.
Marae as sites to practice tikanga Māori
-Te ao Māori (and traditional Māori society) governed by tikanga and so is the marae
-Ceremonies and rituals that demonstrate tikanga take place on the marae
e.g. Pōwhiri
e.g. Takiauē/Tangihanga/Hui mate
e.g. Wānanga/Hui ([ritual] debate and discussion)
-Today we don’t see tikanga Māori everywhere e.g. at the supermarket but it is on display at the Marae.
Marae as sites of tapu
-Managed by kaumātua (elders)
-Highly ritualised space and traditional practices
-Set aside for specific purposes e.g. wouldn’t dig a hangi on the Marae ātea
Marae today: complex of buildings that includes a meeting house and could include any of these others areas
-Whare tūpuna/tīpuna (Meeting house, embodying an ancestor)
- Whare whakairo (carved meeting house)
-Wharenui/Wharehui (Main
meeting house)
-Wharepuni (sleeping house)
-Marae ātea (ceremonial
courtyard = outdoor area, all marae will have this)
-Kāuta (Cooking shed = not all marae have it)
-Wharekai (Kitchen = food house)
-Whareiti (ablutions, wharepaku also a synonym)
-Whare karakia (church)
-Urupā/Wāhi tapu (Cemetery/
Burial grounds)
-Kūwaha/Waharoa (entrance to the marae ātea)
-Kōhanga reo (Māori language preschool)
Significance of marae
-Tūrangawaewae – “a place to stand”. No one cares what you do outside of the marae, everyone has a role on the marae and no role is more than others.
-Connection to tūpuna and whanaunga (whakapapa and
whanaungatanga). It’s a given that you are related to someone that is there.
-Connection to place and whenua
-Important ceremonial rituals
-Ahi kā (keeping the fires of occupation burning –> doing your part so that you have a right to be there and return to the marae). If can’t do this then maintain a seen face –> some people won’t be able to do this i.e. westernized adoption severing connection.
-Vessel/repository for ancient and traditional knowledge[s]
-Site of cultural resistance
Marae as sites of cultural resistance
- Te reo Māori
-Tikanga Māori
- “the last bastion…”
The only place that we can see Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori can be seen in it’s most potent form (sad)
