Takahanga Marae to feature in new documentary

On a cold bleak day in Kaikōura in 1977, Rangi Solomon (kaumatua of Ngāti Kurī) and a young Tipene O’Regan drove up to a big paddock on top of the Kaikōura peninsula. Rangi told Tīpene that he wanted his help to get the land back, to build the future of their people on ‘the bones of their past’.

Rangi passed away the next day.

A new documentary telling the story of Takahanga Marae in Kaikōura will have its first public screening next week.

“The Bones of Our Past – The Story of Takahanga Marae” brings together recent and historical interviews with archival footage to document how the marae came to stand on the exact site that the tīpuna of Ngāti Kurī had built on centuries before.

Members of the Takahanga Pā Trust including Maani Stirling, Jacqui Te Wani and Jacqui Limmer have been closely involved throughout the making of the documentary.

Jacqui Te Wani grew up in Oaro with her grandparents Mirama and Rangi Solomon and says that being involved in the documentary has been “like going back through memory lane”.

“It has been overwhelming at times but I’m extremely proud that we were asked to do this before the story is lost,” she says.

Jacqui says that her mother Ripeka Clayton and her friend Jan Carroll fundraised tirelessly for the marae for 15 years.

“We were a whānau who came together as one and did things that we had no knowledge or previous experience of,” she says.

For Jacqui, one of her highlights relating to the construction of the marae was learning how to create a tukutuku panel at Oaro school with Cliff Whiting.

“I loved it. I didn’t sleep much or eat much – I just learned everything,” she says.

Along with the reflections of Ngāti Kurī whānau, “The Bones of Our Past – The Story of Takahanga Marae” features interviews with Tā Tipene O’Regan, footage from the 2024 Hui ā-Iwi in Kaikōura and waiata performed by Ngāti Kurī whānau.

The idea for the documentary was born in 2022 when Producer Cilla Harnett (Te Ātiawa) volunteered to help in the kitchen during the 30th anniversary celebrations of the official opening of the wharenui, Maru Kaitatea, in 1992. After gaining approval from Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and filming some interviews with the assistance of various community funders, the documentary was able to be completed thanks to funding from Te Māngai Pāho.

Cilla says that the highlight of this mahi for her has been “being able to kōrero with kaumātua and pakeke who have been willing to share their stories”.

“Recalling the time and feelings of rebuilding the marae in the 1980s and 90s has been an enriching experience for all,” she says.

Director Rick Harvie says that there was a conscious decision when filming “to step back and let Ngāti Kuri tell their story in their words.”

“It has been a privilege to bring this story to life,” he says.

The Bones of Our Past – The Story of Takahanga Marae will screen on Whakaata Māori at 8.30pm on Monday 16 June.