The

Māori people The Māori (, ) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (). Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350. Over several ce ...

and

Moriori people The Moriori are the native Polynesian people of the Chatham Islands (''Rēkohu'' in Moriori; ' in Māori), New Zealand. Moriori originated from Māori settlers from the New Zealand mainland around 1500 CE. This was near the time of th ...

have 773 tribal ''

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

'' (meeting grounds) around

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. These grounds usually include a ''

wharenui A wharenui (; literally "large house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a ''marae''. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called ''whare'' ( ...

'' (meeting house) and are usually affiliated with ''

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

'' (tribes) and ''

hapū In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...

'' (sub-tribes). In Māori society, the is a place where the culture can be celebrated, where the Māori language can be spoken, where intertribal obligations can be met, where customs can be explored and debated, where family occasions such as birthdays can be held, and where important ceremonies, such as welcoming visitors or farewelling the dead (''

tangihanga ''Tangihanga'', or more commonly, ''tangi'', is a traditional Māori funeral rite held on a marae. While still widely practised, it is not universally observed in modern times. Each iwi (tribe/nation) differs on how they honour those who pass. ''T ...

''), can be performed. Like the related institutions of old Polynesia, the ''marae'' is a ''wāhi tapu'', a 'sacred place' which carries great cultural meaning. In Māori usage, the (often shortened to ) is the open space in front of the (meeting house; literally "large building"). Generally the term is used to refer to the whole complex, including the buildings and the . This area is used for ''

pōwhiri A pōwhiri (called a pōhiri in eastern dialects, and pronounced in the Taranaki-Whanganui area) is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, cultural performance, singing and finally the ''hongi''. It is used to both welcome guests onto ...

'' (welcome ceremonies) featuring oratory. Some (tribes) and (sub-tribes) do not allow women to perform oratory on their . The wharenui is the locale for important meetings, sleepovers, and craft and other cultural activities. The ''wharekai'' (dining hall) is used primarily for communal meals, but other activities may be carried out there.

Marae by region

North Island

* List of marae in the Auckland Region * List of marae in the Bay of Plenty Region * List of marae in the Gisborne District * List of marae in the Hawke's Bay Region * List of marae in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region * List of marae in the Northland Region *

List of marae in the Taranaki Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In October 2020, the Government committed $7,407,008 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade 23 marae in the region, with the intention of creating 30 ...

* List of marae in the Waikato Region * List of marae in the Wellington Region

South Island and other islands

List of marae in the Canterbury Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in Canterbury, New Zealand. In October 2020, the Government committed $160,440 through the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade two marae in the region, with the intention of creating 30 jobs. K ...

List of marae in the Chatham Islands This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori and Moriori meeting grounds) in the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. In October 2020, the Government committed $160,440 through the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Whakamaharatanga Marae, with the intention ...

List of marae in the Marlborough Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in the Marlborough Region. List of marae See also * Lists of marae in New Zealand * List of marae in Nelson, New Zealand * List of marae in the Canterbury Region * List of schools in the M ...

List of marae in Nelson, New Zealand This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in Nelson, New Zealand. List of marae See also * Lists of marae in New Zealand * List of marae in the Tasman District * List of schools in Nelson, New Zealand References {{New Zealand mar ...

List of marae in the Otago Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in Otago. Dunedin City Waitaki District See also * Lists of marae in New Zealand * List of schools in Otago References {{New Zealand marae Otago, List of marae in Marae A ' (in ...

List of marae in the Southland Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in Southland, New Zealand. In October 2020, the Government committed $718,576 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade two marae in the region, with the intention of creating 25 jobs. South ...

List of marae in the Tasman Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in the Tasman District of New Zealand. List of marae See also * Lists of marae in New Zealand * List of marae in Nelson, New Zealand * List of schools in the Tasman District References { ...

List of marae in the West Coast Region This is a list of ''marae'' (Māori meeting grounds) in the West Coast, New Zealand. In October 2020, the Government committed $248,376 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade two marae in the region, with the intention of creating 20 jobs. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marae in New Zealand