Insurance, I would hate to think of how many marae in the district that may not even be insured. Safeguarding those taonga and history within our whare needing of investment. The million dollars comes with conditions such as linkages to te reo and cultural strategies. There is growing evidence that points to the relationship between "knowing where you are from and resilience is strong".
I can't help but ask about Te Aranga Marae at every He Toa Takatini consultation hui. These hui are extremely well organised and informative. Giving us that whakapapa to Heretaunga or Tamatea the opportunity to comment, vote or request more information to make an informed decision about the pending settlement.
Part of my growing disappointment is that I always thought that Maori would do the right thing. That whanau would recognise that Te Aranga provides support for whanau living in Flaxmere. Support that comes in many forms such as a community garden where whanau can pick fresh vegetables 24/7.
Where just 10 mins ago whanau knocked on the door to our shared marae office to ask for kai. Good families struggling to make ends meet. Whanau that come here for tangi - some when there is a sudden unexpected death in the family. Whanau that come for support with linking to health and social services, whanau struggling to get a house, whanau looking for a job, whanau that just need a cup of tea with Pam to receive support and some reassurance with pressing issues.
We know from our 2013 census data that the total Flaxmere population is 9369. This is made up of 4656 Maori, 1533 Pacific people, 2064 "other" and 1116 not stated. Of those that identify as being Maori 20 per cent identify as being from Ngati Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, 11 per cent identify as being from the Ngati Kahungunu region unspecified, 7.1 per cent from Ngati Kahungunu ki te Wairoa. And so the list goes on. Why is Te Aranga Marae missing out? Well some claim we are not whakapapa based. We do not affiliate to a tipuna or ancestor. We don't have a maunga (mountain) or awa (river).
Te Aranga, however, has a rich history and there are some that would say Te Aranga Marae absolutely has whakapapa (Ngahiwi Tomoana). Te Aranga was born from a need within the Flaxmere community. Locals were encouraged to participate in the project of building the marae. "We want as many people as possible in Flaxmere to be part of the building of the marae. Our young people are often in the news - we want them to be there for something positive".
Local high schools were involved with landscaping. I hear from others the perception that Te Aranga is wealthy. With a charitable trusts status - our financial statements are all on the charities website. In Pam's words, "somehow we scrape by". Some families struggle to pay the marae - particularly for tangi which is often an unplanned event. Pam is paid a small amount per month as administrator for Te Aranga Marae. And while this is probably more than most are paid, it really is a labour of love. I close with this whakatauki:
He aroha whakato, he aroha puta mai.
If kindness is sown then kindness you shall receive.
-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere
