Te Tii Marae in Waitangi has reopened its whare tupuna, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, after undergoing repairs and restoration work.
In the early hours of the morning, thousands gathered in the neighbouring Te Tou Rangatira – a site of significance where the 1835 He Whakaputanga, the Declaration of Independence was signed – before congregating next door to the marae.
Visiting iwi from Taranaki led the formal proceedings with karakia, walking through the whare before whaikōrero took place out on the newly landscaped marae ātea.
Marae chairman Ngati Kawa Taituha told those assembled he was proud of the result, remembering whānau who “have done the hard yards and have come through and got the result”.
“I’ve had my fair share of tears and of crying just to see how beautiful it is.”
To end the event, head chef Joe McLeod oversaw a massive hāngī preparation to feed the masses, catering for 10,000 people.
Restoration work
The restoration work involved the replacement of the roof, extension of the mahau (verandah) and waharoa (gateway), new shelter for local and visiting speakers and groups, and landscaping around the marae ātea.
Detailed carvings have been added to the facade of the whare and waharoa.
Inside there are more carvings and tukutuku panels adorn the walls with plush seating around the interior and new carpet on the floor. No photography was permitted.
“This was a big project, $5 million of investment, and it’s taken us a lot to handle, to get our heads around, to make the right decisions and to do it safely,” said Taituha.
“[I’m] so proud that we’ve managed to sit together and get through this programme of development.
“This is just the beginning; we’ve got a bit more development to go.”
Future projects
The hapū and marae committee aimed to renovate the wharekai and reestablish a kōhanga reo as part of their aspiration for an education hub. A media hub was also part of the plan.
He said there were discussions around returning the historic He Whakaputanga 1835 document where they hoped to house it in a multipurpose complex on Te Tou Rangatira, the site next to Te Tii Marae where the declaration was signed.
“Here we are, we have the fruits of all the mahi and all the work that’s gone into it, and I’m just pleased that we’ve got through to this point and getting this dawn ceremony over the line.”
Background
Te Tii Marae is the only marae in Waitangi, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840 is the name of its 101-year-old whare tupuna.
In the past, the marae was a regular stop for parliamentarians over Waitangi week commemorations but the visits stopped when formalities were moved to Te Whare Rūnanga, the carved meeting house on the Treaty Grounds, in 2018.
In 2021, Labour MPs were welcomed onto the marae after a four-year absence to fulfil the wishes of the late Rudy Taylor, a kaumātua of the marae and staunch Labour supporter.
It has been under restoration since then — until today.
