Maniaiti Marae or Wallace Pā is a
marae in
Manunui
Manunui (Māori ''manu'' ''nui'' or "big bird") is a small Whanganui River settlement, about east of Taumarunui on State Highway 4, in New Zealand's King Country. It was once known as Waimarino, but John Burnand of the Ellis and Burnand sawmilling ...
, 8km south-east from the outskirts of
Taumarunui, in the central
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
of New Zealand.
Members of the marae are mostly the descendants of Nehuora and Te Wakatahurangi Te Warahi (née Chadwick), the latter being better known as "Nanny Maraea". Nanny Maraea was a staunch and well-respected matriarch, and was responsible for much of the marae's development. Nehuora was also greatly respected and performed the duty of delivering the family's children. It is thought he may have delivered over a hundred children during his lifetime, possibly many more as it was not restricted to just his family.
The marae is also known as Wallace Pā,as "Warahi" was transliterated to "Wallace" during the time when
Māori people were being encouraged to take European names.The Wharenui,meeting house was Nanny Marea's own family house.The house was moved from up above on her farm and placed as part of Maniaiti Marae.Maniaiti translates to small flats,Now though many descendants of Warahi, and Chadwick and many family or
whānau have other names, including Chadwick, Roderick, and Te Wano.
Tribal affiliation
The
iwi (tribe) most affiliated with the marae is
Ngāti Tuwharetoa
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori culture, Māori society. In Māori-language, Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and ...
, although
Ngāti Kahungunu (the tribe of Nanny Maraea) are also closely associated. Most descendants associate with both iwi.
Through Ngāti Tuwharetoa, the whānau claim
Ngāti Manunui
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, ...
as their
hapū (subtribe), and Taupō-nui-a-Tia as their moana (lake). It is important in Māori culture to be able to show where lineage and
rohe (area of origin) are located.
An example is shown below of a common Ngāti Tuwharetoa ''
pepeha
"Pepeha" is a song by New Zealand band Six60, performed bilingually in English and Māori. "Pepeha" is the band's second song to be recorded in Te Reo Māori, and was released as a single in 2021 to coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. The so ...
'' (speech of introduction) or statement reflecting this:
Environment
The region of Ngapuke is a
rural forestry area. The
Pungapunga River runs to the back of the
marae and is used for
swimming and catching
eel in
hinaki
A fish trap is a trap used for fishing. Fish traps include fishing weirs, lobster traps, and some fishing nets such as fyke nets.
Traps are culturally almost universal and seem to have been independently invented many times. There are two mai ...
(net catchments).
Future
In 2012, the marae received funding for a new ''wharepaku'' (bathroom and toilet block).
Some family members still live on the marae, but many live in other parts of New Zealand and Australia. Family members have been trying to raise funds to ensure the legacy of the Marae, and meeting notices are posted for gatherings to rebuild the Pā.
On 21 July 2012, the Wharepuni at Maniati was demolished by controlled burn, and will be replaced by new buildings.
A ''wharekai'' (dining hall) was moved and installed on the site in 2015.
In October 2020, the Government committed $1,560,379 from the
Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and 7 other nearby marae, creating 156 jobs.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maniaiti Marae (Wallace Pa)
Buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui
Marae in New Zealand
Forts in New Zealand
Pā sites