Te Hora Marae, at the foot of the glorious Tutumapou Maunga, is a significant gathering place for Ngāti Kuia. Continuing the tradition of it being a welcoming gathering place, the marae was the host venue last week for the second in a series of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu sponsored Mana Tāne wānanga.

The site of Te Hora Marae has been transformed from a block once covered in gorse and shrub to an impressive and proud, multi-purpose facility that well serves its community. It is a tribute to Ngāti Kuia and those who had the vision, passion, and determination to improve their circumstances and facilities. Our tāne similarly seek to make transformations in their own lives and in the whānau of those they support.

Kaihautū Wānanga, Te Ra Morris explained that “the idea to rejuvenate the mana tāne wānanga came out of COVID-19, where men in particular were struggling to find support”. The intent of the regional wānanga is to create local support networks and unite tāne from across Te Waipounamu, in a supportive environment that seeks to empower attendees with new tools to address challenges they or their whānau may encounter.

“I remember the last wānanga we had was awesome and I needed to bring my guys to experience the wānanga here,” said Whānau Ora Navigator and Champion Tyrone Smith. Smith led a rōpū of 10 tāne north from Ōtautahi for this event and has already turned his mind to how he can contribute to the Murihiku wānanga planned for the new year.