Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei perform a haka at the opening of Te Wharekura. Photo / Bryan Lowe / Auckland Council
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei perform a haka at the opening of Te Wharekura. Photo / Bryan Lowe / Auckland Council
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has opened a cultural and marine education space, Te Wharekura, on the downtown Auckland waterfront.
The iwi and Auckland Council have partnered to repurpose the 108-year-old heritage kiosk next to the downtown ferry terminal into the new space.
Te Wharekura. Photo / Supplied
Te Wharekura aims to encourage kōrero about the state of the environment, as well as share stories of the history and current activities of tangata whenua.
“We have always considered the protection of te Waitematā as essential to the wellbeing of our people,” Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei pou hāpai tikanga taiao Kīngi Makoare says.
“When the environment is healthy and thriving, so too are the people. By sharing our stories and heritage, Te Wharekura inspires everyone living in and visiting Tāmaki Makaurau to treat the water as a taonga, a prized possession.”
Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāti Kuri), the portfolio lead for Te Kaunihera Māori Outcomes, says partnerships such as this with iwi are vital.
“Holistic thinking and collaboration are essential when it comes to addressing the health of our natural environment. It is important that Te Kaunihera continues to partner with the tangata whenua in a manner that reflects Taiao ora, Tangata ora – ‘If the natural world is healthy, so too are the people’.”
Inside Te Wharekura. Photo / Bryan Lowe
Te Wharekura features the artwork of ringatoi Graham Tipene, Hana Maihi, Jodi-Ann Warbrick, Leah Warbrick, Joanne Maihi and Kororia Witika.
“The walls of Te Wharekura celebrate the beauty of our unique and rich culture through our reo, our pūrakau, our kōrero, our mahi toi, our waiata, and through a variety of physical taonga and interactive media housed within the space,” Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s Robbie Pāora says.
“Importantly, Te Wharekura acts as a learning space / laboratory for environmental education, blending kōrero tuku iho and western science to inform and uplift all who visit the space, with a particular focus on tamariki and rangatahi from kura / schools across the region.”
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei intends to provide opportunities for other iwi to share their mātauranga in the space.
Te Wharekura is open with free entry to the public from 10am to 4pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
