All peoples have a right to connect with this marae – Rongomaraeroa. As a fully functional marae, it isthrough an understanding of whakapapa and the shared responsibility of taonga held at Te Papa, it has many functions.
Everyone can feel welcome to Rongomaraeroa and it is generally open during standard museum hours for manuhiri to engage with via signage, free tours, and online resources.
However, Rongomaraeroa also operates as a functional marae which is a site to conduct Māori ceremonies of welcome and acknowledgement in accordance to marae kawa and tikanga. This means at times there is limited access to these spaces for health and cultural safety reasons.
Rongomaraeroa is a functional area within the museum where people meet, discuss, and debate, as well as celebrate. It also operate as a contemporary expression of Māori cultural values and artistic excellence within its museum context.
Here are some examples of the many roles and functions Rongomaraeroa provides Te Papa:
Pōwhiri – formalwelcoming ceremony where various entrance points are activated on the marae
Repatriation of kōiwi tangata, kōimi tangata/kōimi tchakat and/or taonga
A place to share mātauranga Māori and manaakitanga
Kahu Ropata offering a karakia at the dawn Whāngai i te Hautapu ceremony held on Rongomaraeroa for the first Matariki public holiday in 2022. Watch the highlights. Photo by Erica Sinclair. Te Papa (206537)
Tūpuna and taonga arrive home. The iwi delegation arrives on to the marae ātea, carrying the tūpuna and karāpuna through and the waharoa and Ranginui doors at the 2022 Austrian repatriation pōwhiri. Photo by Te Papa (216933)
Taonga returned to their homes. Te Papa Kaihautū Arapata Hakiwai speaks at the ceremony to return the ‘ahu ‘ula and mahiole, 2016. The cloak lies flat while a replica is draped on a mannequin. Photo by Te Papa
Matariki performance by Te Kahureremoa Taumata for young children, 2016. Photo by Kate Whitley. Te Papa (18272)
A block from the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt at the pōwhiri on Rongomaraeroa, 2011. Photo by Michael Hall. Te Papa (33034)
The presentation of Le Lau Ta’amu Tafea, a sacred ‘ie toga (fine mat) by His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (Former Head of State of Sāmoa) to Te Papa in 2020. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (150325)
Learning demonstration about taonga for Te Kura O Manutuke (school from Manutuke). Photo by Jo Moore. Te Papa (114135)
Children interacting with the kōhatu mauri on Rongomaraeroa. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa
Tamariki telling a story through haka on Rongomaraeroa. Photograph by Norm Heke, Te Papa
We even had a live Lotto draw on our Opening Day in 1998. Cheryll Southeran and Cliff Whiting are pictured with the Lotto presenters. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa (109943)
Our marae comprises various elements stretching outside and into the heart of the museum – the marae ātea (open spaces), the wharenui (large meeting houses), and the three pathways that provide access to Rongomaraeroa.
Rongomaraeroa is the heart of Museum life – a place to welcome, celebrate, and hold ceremonies. It is also a living exhibition, showcasing contemporary Māori art and design.
Visit our contemporary marae (communal meeting place) on a self-guided visit to Te Papa. Explore the traditional and modern stories told through its design.