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Rongomaraeroa is themarae of theMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and incorporates a contemporarywharenui (meeting house)Te Hono ki Hawaiki.[1] It is located on the museum's 4th floor overlookingWellington harbour,[2] and was officially opened on 30 November 1997.[3]
The design, described as "postmodern",[4] was overseen by Te Papa's inauguralkaihautu (Māori leader), master carverCliff Whiting.[5] As "the only one of its kind expressly built for that purpose in a museum",[6] this marae is "arguably the most prominent embodiment of [Te Papa's] commitment tobiculturalism".[7]
In October 2020, the Government committed $887,291 from theProvincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and 4 others in theCentral Hawke's Bay area, creating 12 jobs.[8]
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Rongomaraeroa is used for many events, not only as a museum exhibit – it was always intended to be a "'living marae' used forpōwhiri, functions, andtangi".[7] For example, in May 2017 and July 2018 the marae was the site of ceremonies ofrepatriation ofMāori andMoriori remains – includingtoi moko – from several European and American institutions.[9][10][11] Rongomaraeroa is unique in its ability to serve as the location for such ceremonies as it is a "nationalised, pan-iwi marae".[12] As traditional gathering spaces, marae are always located on the ground. However, given the situation of this one on an upper level of the building, Whiting nicknamed Rongomaraeroa "the marae in the sky".[7] The name also helped to differentiate it as a marae belonging to the museum "with its own special Te Papa kawa [protocols]", and not toTe Āti Awa – the localiwi [tribe] of theWellington area.[7] Although initially controversial and charged with being a "reappropriation" of complex Māori practices and protocols "...to serve its reconciliatory, bicultural remit, often at the expense of more contested issues such as Māori self-determination...",[4] it is now widely accepted as a genuine marae, "by intention if not by inheritance".[6] Rongomaraeroa is also available for hire from Te Papa for commercial and private events.[13]
Te Hono ki Hawaiki is not to be confused with the traditional wharenui of theRongowhakaata iwi:Te Hau ki Tūranga. Dating from the 1840s, this is the oldest extant carved meeting house and is on long-term loan to Te Papa. It is displayed in the nearby exhibition of Māori cultureMana Whenua.[14]
Rongomaraeroa has a usable space of 350m² and can accommodate 250 people.[13] Carvings for the wharenui were made by Whiting using the non-traditional materialmedium-density fibreboard (MDF) rather than rare native timber. This enabled the forming of unusual and elaborate three-dimensional shapes. Non-traditional colours[15] as well as European, Asian, and Polynesian design references were incorporated in order to include all cultures of contemporary New Zealand.[1] "It reflects the nation's bicultural foundations while embracing everyone. It's innovative in its story-telling and its design...[Cliff] extended the boundaries of Māori art by using contemporary materials and resources" stated his successorArapata Hakiwai in 2013.[16] For example, the wharenui includes atriptych shrine featuring a Christian dove, "in order to come up with something that not only Māori could relate to but Europeans as well."[7]
Carvings in arches and pillars ofTe Hono ki Hawaiki representingMāori myths and legends include:[3]
Guests can be ceremonially lead up to the marae space without having to go through other exhibitions which was a design consideration to support pōwhiri.[17]
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![detail of the stained glass door, depicting Ranginui (the sky father). When opened, "it pushes upwards away from the flooring (which depicts Papatūānuku, the earth mother), re-enacting the traditional Māori story of [their] separation."[3]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aStained_glass_doors_Te_Papa.jpg)
![Tukutuku [woven panels] on the walls. Made by students of Toi Haukura.[3]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWall_of_marae%2c_Te_Papa_(2).jpg)
InMāori mythology,Te Hono ki Hawaiki refers toHawaiki – the original home island of allPolynesians – whileRongomaraeroa is another name forRongo, the god ofkūmara and other cultivated food.[18]Rongomaraeroa is also the name given to the marae belonging to severalhapū [sub-tribes] of theNgāti Kahungunu andHeretaunga Tamatea iwi along the South-Eastern coastline of New Zealand'sNorth Island.[19][20]
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41°17′26.32″S174°46′55.43″E / 41.2906444°S 174.7820639°E /-41.2906444; 174.7820639