All tribes part of Army marae

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 610, 31 October 1995, Page 3

All tribes part of Army marae

Saturday last week over one thousand people attended the opening of the Ngati Tumatauenga marae in Waiouru. The marae was built by the army and is aptly named after the Maori god of war, Tumatauenga. Des Ratima says the army 's need for a marae and the facilities to cater for large numbers was accentuated last year when a tangi that attracted 2000 people was held in Waiouru. In addition Mr Ratima says there was a need within the community of Waiouru for a marae. For Waiouru the marae will be a place where people can meet, where people can come to attend evening classes, to socialise, and to attend functions. For the army the marae will be a place where a soldier can disregard rank and relate to others as people instead of as soldiers. Mr Ratima says the soldiers have an inner need for preparation to war that is not met by training or getting used to harsh conditions. "Soldiers tend to become very macho, this marae aims to incorporate humanity into the macho soldier, so the end result is trained soldiers who approach war and peace keeping in a humanitarian manner so we maintain and improve the New Zealand armed services that we are so rightly proud of." During the week the marae will be booked out by visiting groups, for example students from the New Zealand Officer Cadet

School. Students from all around the Pacific rim enter the NZOCS and visits are made to all the different cultures represented. The students say experiencing different cultures now is good practise for the real thing, for instance if they get sent on a peace keeping mission. Traditionally building a marae means a claim is also staked on the land. But in Ngati Tumatauenga' s case TURN TO PAGE 4

All tribes part of Army marae

FROMPAGE3 this in not so. Mr Ratima says that in a tribal sense the army cannot stake a claim over land. Many hui were held with Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngati Rangi, the dominant tribes of the area, to gain their permission and support of the marae. In the event Sir Hepi Te Heuheu was very generous and carpenters and carvers from Ngati Tuwharetoa made a large contribution. Carvings for the meeting house have come from all around New Zealand. Tuwharetoa arranged for inmates of Rangipo and Tongariro prison to carve the front of the meeting house under the supervision of master carver Callum Davidson. The tikotiko (figure piece on the centre front of the meeting house) was carved by Rotoroa carvers under the guidance of Taparoto Nicholson. Carvings inside the meeting house were done by prisoners at Rimutaka prison and represent all the tribes in New Zealand, their (the different tribes') presence indicating approval of each other. Des Ratima says that all tribal differences are forgotten on this marae so people from Ngati Porou associate with Ngati Te Atiawa as one. As you enter the meeting house the back wall which is in the shadow faces you. This dark back wall is symbolic of war and against the wall is a casting of the late Sir Charles Upham, which also symbolises the multicultural nature of the marae. As you leave, you retum into the light and this is symbolic of a soldier's peace keeping role. There is also a carving of Whakatane who, according to Maori legend, was the woman who took on a man's role. This symbolises the army's recognition of the equality of women in the army and their right to speak in the meeting house. Ngati Puhi and Ngati Whatua from the north contributed the Waharoa (visitor' s shelter) which has carvings on it by Jim Te Tuhi, Lorry Nicholas and Andre Hautapu.