He Pepeha, He Hītori
Pepeha and History
Ko Tararua te maunga
Ko Hōkio te awa
Ko Ngāti Raukawa te iwi
Ko Ngāti Pareraukawa te hapū
Ko Ngātokowaru te marae
Ngāti Pareraukawa are the descendants of Te Hitau, the sister of Te Whatanui. We have been in the Horowhenua region since the early 1820s. Te Whatanui was granted the Horowhenua Block and other lands, by Waitohi, the sister of Te Rauparaha. The Horowhenua Block was a 52,000 acre land block south of the Manawatū River stretching from the mountains to the sea and south of the Hōkio Stream.
Te Marae
The Marae
The original Ngātokowaru whare was opened on Christmas Day 1900. It can be seen in the center of this image of the pā site taken in 1952 (courtesy of Ana Harrison), alongside Pareunuora, the wharekai, and the Winiata homestead.
In 1978, a new fully carved and decorated house was opened on the remaining 2 acres of the Horowhenua block (Horowhenua XIB 41 A3). Today, the marae complex includes the wharenui, a dining room and kitchen, an ablution block, and a whare for our rangatahi (youth) named Te Huarahi o te Ora, which is located beside the children's playground.
Ngātokowaru marae is situated at 580 Hōkio Beach Road, adjacent to the Hōkio Stream.
Ngā Kaupapa Matua
Guiding Principles
Adopted by the Raukawa Trustees in 1975 as part of the tribal experiment Whakatupuranga Rua Mano, these guiding principles have been endorsed by Ngāti Pareraukawa.
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Our people are our wealth: develop and retain
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Our marae is our principal home: maintain and respect it
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Te reo is a taonga: revive
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Self determination: tino rangatiratanga