Te papa noho-a-kupe : whakatere nga ripa tauarai : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

Mātakitaki-a-Kupe, the southernmost tip of Te Ika-a-Māui is a physical convergence point of our atua Māori, the raw forces, thresholds and interface between their domains. The forest of Tāne bloom amongst the secluded valleys of Aorangi, his korowai for Papatūānuku. The oceans of Tangaroa crest high bringing life and death, and the waters of Parawhenuamea swirl and carve the land, toward the undercurrents of Hinemoana and acidify at the threshold. This wāhi tapu is a thin landing between maunga, moana, awa and ngāhere that amplifies the intensity of these collisions. Ngā Rā-a-Kupe tower over you and cascade down into the depths to join the giant wheke that led Kupe to Aotearoa. The many locations that bear the name of the great navigator Kupe represent the voyaging spirit of our ancestors, reminding us of where we come from, our connections across moana and the direction of our future - kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua. The Ngā Rā-a-Kupe kaupapa,set out by Ngāti Hinewaka hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa provides the anchor stone for this rangahau Māori that connects ancestral knowledge, mātauranga Māori and re-emerging technologies to inform kaupapa Māori design. Centering the practices of tohunga hanga whare aims to ground this pātaka whakairinga kōrero in a shared whakapapa with the materials and narratives, understood through indigenous methods of wānanga, hīkoi, kōrero tuku iho, pūrākau, and whakatauki. The practice of the tohunga retains the sanctity of the whare and allows us to revitalise traditional knowledge through contemporary structures, ensuring that this practice retains and upholds the tikanga and kawa of the built form in te ao Māori. Painting the links between the whare and the waka draws into sight the voyage we are embarking on into the future, attuned to the knowledge of our ancestors.