A devastating arson attack that destroyed the Pouākani Marae in 2007 left the Mangakino community with the huge task of fundraising and searching for resources to start again. With the building and decoration finished, documenting the opening of the marae for future generations was a priority for the people of Mangakino.

Memory Te Whaiti, Treasurer for the Pouākani Marae, explains: “We wanted to capture not only the opening of the new complex but also celebrate the whole history of this marae: being able to share memories about the old marae means we will have all those stories for our future generations.”

The reopening of the rebuilt marae complex on Saturday 17 November 2012 was an occasion of celebration for the Mangakino people and illustrates the optimism and determination of a small town that has pulled together to restore a valuable resource for their community. Te Puni Kōkiri provided funding to go towards the costs of the film and archive work.

“The filmed material includes the preparations the day before the opening as well as the official opening day and a range of interviews from the builders and carvers to the many whānau who had travelled to be at the opening. There are a lot of people who have worked hard to make the marae rebuild a reality and we didn’t want to lose any of those stories,” says Memory.

The history of the marae at Mangakino reflects the development of the settlement of Mangakino that the Crown intended as a temporary housing solution. In the 1940s the township was expected to have a lifespan of twenty years, but unlike similar small towns in the region, the town continued on. The old Ministry of Works Men’s Camp was purchased from the Crown by the Mangakino Township Inc who then gifted the land as a Māori Reservation for the purpose of a marae for Māori who chose to stay at Mangakino after the construction of the hydro dams. Wairarapa Māori owners were also in the area to farm the two Pouākani blocks.

The marae was opened in October 1972 with Ngāti Kahungunu kawa to benefit “the Māori people of the district”. The relationship with Ngāti Kahungunu o Wairarapa to the Pouākani Block extends back to 1915 when the Crown gave part of the block in exchange for the earlier acquisition of the Wairarapa Lakes in 1896.

Māori that came to work on the dams at that time were from all over New Zealand. They and the Wairarapa farmers were away from their homes so this gave them a home away from home, and an opportunity to be a part of marae life.

“It's not a whānau marae, which makes it very different from most others in New Zealand, and is central to the whole Mangakino community supporting the rebuild and feeling connected,” says Memory.

The new whakairo, carved by master carver Takirirangi Smith, represent the ancestors of Ngāti Kahungunu o Wairarapa and tell the story of the Wairarapa connection to Tainui, Ngāti Raukawa, Rereahu, Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Tūwharetoa as well as acknowledging the Māori people of the Mangakino district who come from Ngā Hau e Whā (the four winds).