Whakarewarewa Village has partnered with GNS to host a wananga aligned with the 130th anniversary of the Tarawera eruption.
The noho marae, to be held this Thursday and Friday at Hinemihi Marae, is open to a cluster of people from all different fields, including whanau, GNS staff and iwi groups.
The overnight stay will involve storytelling, purakau, waiata, poetry, recollections and experiences about the eruption.
In the early hours of June 10, 1886, people woke to earthquakes, lightning, fountains of molten rock and columns of smoke and ash up to 10km high.
The eruption lasted six hours and destroyed several villages, along with the Pink and White Terraces. About 120 people were killed. The settlements of Te Tapahoro, Moura, Te Ariki, Totarariki, Waingongongo and Te Wairoa were destroyed or buried.
As well as commemorating the anniversary of the eruption, information about a collaborative project between GNS and Whakarewarewa will be shared. The project, called Ka Rongo Te Ha o Ruaumoko - Understanding the Impacts of Air Pollution at Whakarewarewa, was a collaboration between Whakarewarewa chief executive Blair Millar and GNS science Dr Andreas Markwitz.
It was funded by Te Punaha Hihiko - Vision Matauranga Capability Fund which aims to unlock the science and innovation potential of Maori knowledge, resources and people for the benefit of New Zealand.
The wananga will allow knowledge gained throughout the project to be transferred to those attending.
