Rohe arotahinga 2: Whakangao i ngā marae kia tū pakari kia taurikura ai Focus area 2: Invest in marae to be self-sustaining and prosperous

MaraeThe enclosed space in front of a wharenui (meeting house) where people gather.  are hubs for the MāoriIndigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Māori incorporates mana whenua and mataawaka.  community. They physically and spiritually anchor Māori identity, and function as focal points for Māori social, economic and cultural leadership.

Hapū and iwi marae provide the tūrangawaewaeAncestral standing place.  for their people. As Māori moved to Auckland from other parts of New Zealand, urban marae were built to meet the cultural and social needs of their Māori communities.

There are more than 60 marae across Auckland that include tangata whenuaThe indigenous people of the land. , Māori community, taurahereMāori residing outside of their ancestral lands. Used in this plan to describe marae associated with hapū or iwi whose tribal connections are from outside of Auckland. , church and education-based marae.

You can zoom into areas of the map (originally published June 2018) and click on the icons for more information.

Marae are not-for-profit organisations and many rely on volunteers for support. They vary in size and the services they provide.

All provide for huiVerb, to assemble or meet. Noun, a gathering or meeting.  and tangihangaFuneral. . Some also offer services such as kōhanga reoMāori language preschool.  early childhood education through to a range of health, education and social services.

Marae are valued as cultural hubs by all Aucklanders. The responsibility of the hau kāingaLocal people of a marae or area.  to manaakimanuhiriVisitor, guest.  and foster whanaungatangaRelationship, kinship, sense of family connection. A relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging. are often extended to the wider community in times of need.

Marae play a resilient and adaptive role for the wider community including emergency housing, civil defence and emergency responses.

This was exemplified in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic where marae played a critical role. They helped by distributing supplies and providing testing facilities and vaccination for Māori and the wider community.

The leadership role marae have in enabling better outcomes for Māori and the wider community is evolving, which means appropriate resources and support for marae is needed.

This will require a focus on supporting the governance, management, and physical infrastructure The structures, systems and facilities that support daily life such as water supply, roads and communications, including social infrastructure.  of marae. Marae in the low lying areas will need additional support to adapt to climate impacts.

It will also mean that service providers, hapū and iwi, charities, funding organisations and businesses will need to be better coordinated alongside marae.

How this can be done

Efforts can focus on:

• addressing funding and resourcing barriers for marae facilities and services in order to be thriving hubs for Māori and the wider community
• supporting marae aspirations such as developing kaumātua Elderly man, elderly woman. A person of status within the whānau, hapū, iwi.  and papakāinga Settlement or village on communal Māori land.  housing and assisting whanau to meet their housing aspirations
• recognising marae aspirations to explore the design and delivery of culturally appropriate programmes
• supporting marae to be climate change ready with a clear adaptation pathway.

More information about this outcome