Spruced-up marae to mark milestones

Painting of maihi breathes life into Te Ara o Tawhaki as the marae prepares to celebrate 21 years. The carved bargeboard represents the Tawhaki striving for knowledge and symbolises the aspirations of students across the EIT campus

EIT's School of Maori Studies, Te Uranga Waka, is ensuring Te Ara o Tawhaki looks its best to celebrate 21 years for the marae on the Hawke's Bay campus.

The anniversary of its opening, which will be celebrated in tandem with a weekend marking EIT's 40th anniversary, is on October 29.

Restoring buildings and taonga to their original condition is reaffirming the spirit and mana of the marae.

Te Ara o Tawhaki translates as the pathway of Tawhaki, who journeyed to the 10th heaven to attain the kete of karakia. Te Uranga Waka lecturer Ron Dennis says Tawhaki championed knowledge by bringing the kete back to earth to benefit mankind.

Head of school Puki Nuku acknowledges Joseph Te Rito, Mana Cracknell, Ihaia Hutana, Pauline Tangiora and many others who were, with the late Tuahine Northover, Pani Cambridge and Materoa Haenga, drivers for establishing the wharenui opened in 1994.

The vision for the marae was to support student learning in a vibrant, kaupapa Maori environment. As cultural awareness grew across campus, it was appropriate that EIT house its noho (live-in) marae and hui (meeting) facilities alongside Te Ara o Tawhaki to give full expression to kaupapa Maori and Matauranga Maori.

More recent developments have been the opening of two spectacular buildings flanking Te Ara o Tawhaki - Ko Nga Ara Tumanako in 2004 and Te Uranga Waka in 2012.

The concept for Te Uranga Waka (meaning the landing place of canoes) was that of a whare waka, with the waka representing the learning journey. The building's form and east-facing orientation echo that of Te Ara o Tawhaki - the symbolic heart of Te Uranga Waka. Serving as a symbolic gateway and cultural focal point for the campus, the 300sq m building encompasses administration offices, meeting areas, research space and an expansive lobby which provides exhibition space for Maori art and crafts.

Te Uranga Waka is a hub for Maori activity and an active promoter of tikanga and te reo Maori.

In 2011 Te Whatukura, the School of Maori Studies in Gisborne, became part of the EIT family when Tairawhiti Polytechnic and EIT Hawke's Bay merged, aligning the educational needs of the people of Te Tairawhiti and Ngati Kahungunu.

The 21st celebration will be an opportunity to acknowledge the many stalwarts who dreamed a dream that is now a reality for those on the EIT learning journey.