Marae visits linked to more cultural engagement

Statistics show that 71 per cent of Maori know their ancestral marae.

Nearly 400,000 Maori know which of the country's 800-plus marae is theirs, and most would like to visit more often, according to the first report of its kind from Statistics New Zealand.

Taku marae e: Connecting to ancestral marae 2013 showed that 71 per cent of Maori know their ancestral marae, and nearly half of those have visited in the past year.

"One of the really interesting things we found is that Maori who visit their marae are also more likely to be engaged in other aspects of Maori culture," households statistics manager Diane Ramsay said.

"For instance, Maori who can speak te reo, or who know all their pepeha or tribal identity, are more likely to visit their marae than others."

The report highlighted a strong link between turangawaewae (place to stand and belong) and visiting marae. Over half of Maori adults reported they had an ancestral marae that they thought of as their turangawaewae, and almost all of them had been to their marae at some point in their lives.

The report also showed that Maori want to visit their marae more, especially those who have never been there. Of Maori who knew their ancestral marae but had never been there, 68 per cent said they would've liked to have visited in the past 12 months.

"This valuable report showed that connection to marae is an important aspect of Maori culture and identity," Ms Ramsay said.

Taku marae e: Connecting to ancestral marae 2013 uses information from the Te Kupenga 2013 survey of Maori well-being.