Tēna koutou katoa. This dedicated page called Te Reo Karere supports the refresh of the education curricula in Aotearoa.
Te Reo Karere will feature the following: ■ Kupuo te rā —Word of the day ■ Ketuketu kīwaha — Phrases ■ Pepeha — Kahungunu cultural identity ■ Whakatauki — Proverb ■ Pānui — Information ■ Kahungunu pūrakau— Kahungunu stories
KORONGATA MARAE PEPEHA Ko Takitimu te waka Ko Tamatea Arikinui te tangata Ko Kahuranaki te maunga Ko Ngaruroro Moko tuararo Ki Rangatira te awa Ko Te Karewarewa te wai u Ko Te Awa O Te Atua te whenua Ko Te Awa O Te Atua te puna wai tapu Ko Nukanoa te whare tipuna Ko Korongata te marae Ko Bridge Pa te urupa Ko Ngati Poporo te hapu Ko Ngai Te Whatuiapiti te iwi tata Ko Ngati Kahungunu te iwi whanui Our pepeha acts as a cultural summary of who we are, our whakapapa and what cultural landmarks define our traditional boundaries.
KORONGATA MARAE HISTORY
Originally the land was a swamp that would easily flood during the wet season. There was no wharenui on the land. However, there were many raupo homes, with dirt floors that were occupied by whānau.
Raupo homes are a form of traditional domestic housing built from a hardwood frame (normally manuka) and raupo (a swamp reed) cladding and lining. Over the years the swamp has been drained and filled with landfill.
There is approximately seven acres which is known as the total marae area. There were 10 original blocks of land that were owned by specific whānau. During this time families lived in their own homes on their entitled blocks of land. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw the more modern rough sawn buildings erected. In January 1991 the land was aggregated by the Māori Land Court.
In 1908, Te Whare Tipuna Hikawera was built and is said to have been a project instigated by three kuia, Ani Kamau, Keita Puriri and Tiniripene Hapi. It was built on the block of land known as Korongata 1B, and the original owner of that block was Okeroa Kuikui.
Whānau gathering outside Te Whare Tipuna Hikawera (right). Far left you can see Te Whare Nukanoa and in the middle a whare raupo.
There is a discrepancy as to whether the whare was named after Hikawera the Father of Te Whatuiapiti, or Hikawera Tuarua, Nukanoa's half brother. Unfortunately this whare did not have proper foundations and because the wood was rotting, it was demolished and burnt.
The second whare Nukanoa – (the whare standing there today), was completed in 1912. Back then both these whare stood side by side and between them was a whare raupo. It was in Nukanoa that hakari and celebrations were held, until the Kai Hall Matariki was built. There were also kauta for each family to do their cooking and a community hand pump was used to draw water.
KUPU O TE RĀ – WORD OF THE DAY Learn your vowel sounds A (Car) E (Egg) I (Key) O (Or) U (You) to make it easier to pronounce Māori words. There's several to choose from here – Makariri – cold Tino – very Tēnei – this Rā - day Mahana – warm Kei te tino makariri i tēnei rā. Kia mahana. It's very cold today. Stay Warm.
KETUKETU KĪWAHA – PHRASES Kātahi te pikitia pai ko tēnā – What a neat picture that is. Hai tēnei horopaki, he wairua whakanui tō tēnei kīwaha. In this context, this idiom is used to praise or congratulate someone or something.
Role Play Tama: Titiro mai Māmā. Tama: Look Mum. Māmā: Kātahi te pikitia pai ko tēnā e tama. Mum: What a neat picture that is son.
WHAKATAUKĪ – PROVERB & WHAKAMĀRAMATANGA – ITS MEANING Kia tapatahi, kia kotahi rā - Let us become united and one.
