Ko ngā mana katoa o Ngātiwai kei te wai, i ngā taniwha me o rātou manawa

Kia Ngātiwai tonu a Ngātiwai mō ngā whakatupuranga e heke mai nei.

Te Marae Moana exists to build and strengthen Ngātiwai capability in education and research, grounded in our rohe-moana, mātauranga, and reo.

We do this by equipping our people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead, protect, and sustain our taiao, while upholding our responsibility to strengthen Ngātiwai identity, mātauranga, and our enduring relationship with the moana.

This mahi is grounded in values that guide both what we do and how we do it:

• Whakapapa: Grounding all knowledge in relationships across people, place, and time

• Mana motuhake: Maintaining Ngātiwai authority over our knowledge, direction, and futures

• Mātauranga tuku iho: Protecting and carrying forward traditional knowledge

• Kaitiakitanga: Upholding our responsibility to protect and sustain our rohe moana

• Whanaungatanga: Strengthening relationships within and across our rohe

• Rangatiratanga: Enabling Ngātiwai-led decision-making and leadership

Te Marae Moana operates as an interconnected system where Ako Taiao and Rangahau are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

• Ako builds capability within our uri, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to engage with our rohe moana.

• Rangahau generates tools, data, and knowledge that respond to iwi priorities and support action on the ground.

Together, they form a continuous cycle - where research informs learning, and learning contributes back into research — creating a growing body of Ngātiwai knowledge that is practical, accessible, and accountable to our people.

Te Marae Moana is in the process of developing an iwi-led rangahau platform. This work is focused on building the foundations for Ngātiwai-led research, including establishing partnerships, exploring funding opportunities, and shaping projects aligned with the strategic vision of the Ngātiwai Trust Board.

This developing platform will focus on priority areas such as environmental change, marine biodiversity, and cultural heritage.

Alongside this, Te Marae Moana is also laying the foundations for a research archive and resource base. This will include documentation, oral histories, datasets, and educational resources that support our Ako programmes and ensure that knowledge is returned to our people in accessible and practical ways.

Ako Taiao brings together Ngātiwai knowledge systems and environmental practice through place-based learning in our rohe moana. Tauira develop a deeper understanding of te taiao by engaging directly with the whenua and moana, learning from Ngātiwai knowledge holders alongside scientists and practitioners, and specialists.

Through this approach, tauira build skills in observation, kaitiakitanga, and environmental stewardship, grounded in mātauranga Ngātiwai and responsive to the challenges facing our rohe moana.

Presently Te Marae Moana offers three programmes: 

1. Te Ara Auaha:  A one-year programme that weaves together creative and scientific approaches through Ngātiwai knowledge systems. Tauira learn to observe, document, and interpret our rohe moana using a range of tools and methods grounded in mātauranga.

   This programme supports tauira to think critically and creatively, developing their ability to tell stories, explore ideas, and express knowledge in ways that are both innovative and deeply connected to Ngātiwai perspectives.

   Expressions of Interest are Now Open

2.  Te Reo ā-Ngātiwai: A foundational language programme strengthening Ngātiwai dialect and vocabulary.

   Te reo is central to how we understand our world. This programme connects tauira to place, to people, and to the knowledge embedded within our language. 

   Expressions of Interest Open Soon

3. Traditional Waka Voyaging:  The Waka programme offers hands-on learning through traditional navigation and voyaging. Tauira learn to read the moana, skies, and environmental systems while developing practical skills in sailing and navigation.

   Through this experience, tauira build confidence, teamwork, and leadership, grounded in the responsibilities and values that come with being on the moana.

   Expressions of Interest are Closed