Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora Fund

This new contestable fund provides $5.7 million over two years to support marae with projects that protect and revitalise mātauranga and taonga on marae. The Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora Fund offers support for a range of small marae-based projects.

This includes the development of conservation plans for whare and wharenui arts, the establishment of harvest areas for cultural materials such as pā harakeke and tōtara, and the preservation of taonga such as waka tīwai, korowai and photographs.

Funding is open to individual marae including urban marae, and entities (such as iwi, or Post Settlement Governance Entities) applying for funding on behalf of a collective of marae. The next round closes on 11 August 2021. After this, there will be two more rounds before 30 June 2022.

Promotion of the fund is ongoing through Manatū Taonga’s Arts and Culture COVID Recovery Programme newsletters and the DIA regional offices and their networks and has included a You Tube media clip for Te Tai Tokerau with MEA (Making Everything Achievable) TV.

Applications can be submitted any anytime to the Community Matters online grants and client management system at this web address: www.communitymatters.govt.nz/log-in-here.

DIA advisers are available to guide marae through the application process if necessary and can be contacted on 0800 824 824 or matauranga.maori@dia.govt.nz.

Applications must align with the Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora funding outcomes:

a) Activities lead to greater retention, protection, revitalisation and transmission of mātauranga on the marae
b) Traditional artform and hanga whare mātauranga and practices are retained, revitalised, and strengthened on the marae
c) Sustainable care and protection of the marae’s taonga and mātauranga is enhanced and developed
d) Marae and the wider whānau are engaged and work together to progress marae cultural aspirations

The Fund was developed in partnership between Manatū Taonga The Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Department of Internal Affairs, Te Puni Kōkiri and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

Further information on the fund is available on the Community Matters website: https://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/the-matauranga-maori-marae-ora-fund/.

Round One funded projects

Applications to Mātauranga Māori Marae Ora were received from marae across Aotearoa New Zealand. Twenty projects received full or partial funding in the first round. These included archival and digitisation projects, research projects, restoration and conservation work, and support for the restoration of harvest areas. Many projects also included wānanga as a way to transfer knowledge.

The amount of funding awarded to individual projects ranged from $8,400 to $100,000.

Projects at these marae were fully or partially funded:

  • Te Poho o Hinemihi Marae (Hawkes Bay)
  • Ramoto Kireara Marae (Hawkes Bay)
  • Mangaroa Marae (Hawkes Bay)
  • Te Whatu Manawa Māoritanga o Rehua Trust Board (Canterbury)
  • Whitianga Marae Charitable Trust (Bay of Plenty)
  • Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne O Wairau Incorporated (Marlborough)
  • Te Hapū O Ngāti Wheke Incorporated (Canterbury)
  • Makirikiri Marae Komiti (Manawatu-Whanganui)
  • Omarumutu Marae (Bay of Plenty)
  • Tūhourangi Tribal Authority Custodial Trustee Limited (Bay of Plenty)
  • Kahungunu Community Marae (Hawkes Bay)
  • Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura Incorporated (Canterbury)
  • Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (Waikato)
  • Whakapaumahara Marae (Northland)
  • Taraia Marae (Hawkes Bay)
  • Waikotikoti Murumurunga Marae Trust (Bay of Plenty)
  • Ngāti Hako Te Kotahitanga Marae Trust (Waikato)
  • Paikea Whitireia Trust (Gisborne)
  • Motuti Marae Trustees (Northland)
  • Rongomaraeroa Marae Trust (Hawkes Bay)