Weekend learning at Makaurau Marae...

Makaurau Marae, near Auckland Airport

This weekend I went to noho Marae (weekend stay over) at Makaurau Marae which is situated very close to the Auckland Airport, a 5 minute drive and close to the coast. It started on Friday night with a powhiri (welcoming ceremony) and then we settled into our learning for the evening and into Sunday morning (but I left Saturday night due to Mothers' Day the next day).

It was also interesting to learn about the history of the Marae and how it had been built by some who have passed on but have left a legacy for many others to enjoy. The tikanga (cultural practices) of the Marae include no photos or pictures to be taken in the Marae and only outside of it.

However, inside the Marae, there were some beautiful carvings and tukutuku patterns (Maori designed panels) which tell a story of the Marae. It was also a place that some remember loved ones having their tangi (time of mourning of a family service/funeral) and being there for a learning experience was able to bring some good memories to a once was sad memory of the Marae.

I enjoy my times of learning in Marae as there is definitely a different feeling from being in a classroom. We had a lot of laughs but also a lot of times for deeper considerations of the cultural practices that we want to leave as a legacy for our younger family members.

So although many of our class mates were Maori, I was the only Samoan but we did have Cook Islands represented, Chile and Pakeha (European) where we were able to share our thoughts, our experiences and practices and insights from the various backgrounds that we come from.