Taputapu�tea, an ancient marae at Ra\'i�tea in the Society Islands, restored in 1994.

In some modern Polynesian societies, notably that of the M�ori of New Zealand, the marae is still a vital part of everyday life. However, in tropical Polynesia, most marae were destroyed or abandoned with the arrival of Christianity in the 19th Century and some of them have become an attraction for tourists or archaeologists. Nevertheless, the place where the marae were built are still considered as tapu in most islands and nobody would dare build anything on it. In the Cook Islands, a few marae (Arai-te-Tonga, Vaerota, Taputapu�teaRarotongan tradition holds that Taputapu�tea marae at Rarotonga, which archaeologists have dated to the 13th century, was built by Tangi\'ia who brought the central stone with him from the ancient marae of the same name at Ra\'i�tea.Indeed, it seems that it was quite usual in ancient times to take a stone from this marae. The son of Tetupaia and Teu had not only the right to a seat in the great Marae of Taputapuatea in Raiatea, but he could take his stone from Taputapuatea and set it up in his own district of Pare Arue (Tahiti), so founding a Marae Taputapuatea of his own to wear the Maro-\'ura (red waist girdle of the ariki)in. Ta\'aroa Marau, "Memoirs of Arii Tamai e marama of Eimo Teriirere of Tooarai Terinui of Tahiti Tauraatua i Amo" ) are still maintained, and are quickly tidied up before the investiture of a new ariki.

Marae in New Zealand

A marae beneath Taupiri mountain, Waikato district, 19th century

In M�ori usage, marae is technically the enclosed space in front of a wharenui or meeting house (literally "big house"). However, it is generally used to refer to the whole complex, including the buildings and the open space.This sense of the word is now common in New Zealand English. Like most M�ori words, it is unchanged in the plural. An unambiguous term for the area in front of the wharenui is marae �tea. This area is used for p�whiri - welcome ceremonies featuring oratory. Some marae do not allow women to perform oratory there. The meeting house is the locale for important meetings, sleepovers, and craft and other cultural activities. The wharekai (dining hall) is used primarily for communal meals, but other activities may be carried out there. Many of the words associated with marae in tropical Polynesia are retained in the M�ori context. For example, the word paepae refers to the bench where the speakers sit; this means it retains its sacred and ceremonial associations.

Legal status

A marae is a meeting place registered as a reserve under the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act of 1993 (\'The M�ori Land Act\'). Each marae has a group of trustees who are responsible for the operations of the marae. The act governs the regulation of marae as reservations and sets out the responsibilities of the trustees in relation to the beneficiaries. Generally each marae has a charter which the trustees have negotiated with the beneficiaries of the marae. The charter details matters such as:

• the name of the marae, and a description of it;
• a list of the beneficiaries: usually iwi (tribes), hapÅ« (sub-tribes) or whÄ�nau (families); in some cases, the marae is dedicated to the common good of the people of New Zealand.
• the methods used to select trustees;
• general governing principles of the marae;
• the ways in which the trustees may be held accountable by the beneficiaries, and methods for conflict resolution;
• principles governing appointment and recognition of committees to administer the marae;
• procedures for amending the charter, and for ensuring adherence to its principles.

Tribal, church, and educational uses

Waipapa marae, University of Auckland, New Zealand. The grassed area in front of the meeting house is the marae �tea

Some New Zealand churches also operate marae of their own, in which all of the functions of a traditional marae are carried out. Churches operating marae include the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches. In recent years, it has become common for educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, technical colleges, and universities, to build marae for the use of the students and for the teaching of M�ori culture. These marae may also serve as a venue for the performance of official ceremonies relating to the school. The marae of the University of Auckland, for instance, is used for graduation ceremonies of the M�ori Department, as well as welcoming ceremonies for new staff of the University as a whole. Its primary function is to serve as a venue for the teaching of whaik�rero (oratory), M�ori language and culture, and important ceremonies for distinguished guests of the University.

Rapa Nui/Easter Island

In the remote southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle elements of the traditional Polynesian marae evolved into the Rapa Nui/Easter Island Ahu & their iconic Moai (giant forms of Polynesian statues). See:

• Ahu Tongariki
• Ahu Akivi

Tahiti

During the 1994 restoration of TaputapuÄ�tea marae at Ra\'iÄ�tea by archaeologists from the Tahiti Museum, human bones were discovered under some of the structures; apparently, the remains of sacrifices to ʻOro.

See also

• List of Marae in the Gisborne Region

External links

• New Zealand in History: the marae - meeting place
• Gérard, Bertrand, Le marae : description morphologique in Cahiers des Sciences Humaines, 1978, Vol. 15, No 4, p. 407-448. Architecture and morphology of Society Islands Marae
• John Joseph Knight Hutchin, E Tuatua no te apai atinga ki mua i te marae, i te tuatau etene anga ("Tale of the offerings at the marae in heathen time") in "Collected songs and legends from the southern Cook Islands (c. 1883-1912)", notebook 2

Notes

References

• Hirini Moko Mead, 2003. Tikanga MÄ�ori: Living by MÄ�ori Values. Huia Publishers: Wellington.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia