Te Tātoru o Wairau: Iwi gift name to school relocation project

Sunday, 20 June 2021

The name Te Tātoru o Wairau was formally gifted to the Marlborough schools relocation project by Te Tauihu Iwi during a ceremony at the Omaka Marae.

A watershed moment occurred at the Omaka Marae in Blenheim on Friday, when the project to relocate and rebuild three local schools was formally renamed Te Tātoru o Wairau.

Formerly known as the Marlborough Schools Project, the initiative will see Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges relocated on the same site, currently occupied by the Girls’ College and Bohally Intermediate School.

Bohally Intermediate will be relocated and rebuilt on the current Boys’ College site on Stephenson St.

Te Tātoru o Wairau was chosen by Te Tauihu iwi Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Kuia, and gifted to the project following a pōwhiri at the marae on Friday.

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Children entertain guests at the Omaka Marae during a pōwhiri to celebrate the formal naming of the Marlborough schools relocation project to Te Tātoru o Wairau.

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Principals of the three schools were given a memento to mark the occasion. These were crafted by students at Bohally Intermediate School from recycled materials, representing new things coming from old. L-R: Nicky Cameron-Dunn (Bohally), John Kendal (Marlborough Boys’ College), Mary-Jeanne Lynch (Marlborough Girls’ College).

The name means “weave the mauri and combine to achieve the purpose”, while also representing a three-plait rope, symbolising the three schools coming together as one construction project.

Ministry of Education head of property delivery Scott Evans said the name gifting was very exciting for the ministry. “It's an opportunity to be able to partnership with the iwi and make sure that we begin this journey where it should be,” he said.

Guests are welcomed to Omaka Marae with a karanga (call) during a pōwhiri marking the formal naming of the schools' relocation project.

As the Ministry of Education’s largest capital works project to date, Te Tātoru o Wairau is a major investment in the future of Marlborough’s intermediate and secondary education.

In February, it was announced the master planning phase for the project would be led by Te Tumu, a consortium of construction specialists led by Naylor Love.

Guests are welcomed to Omaka Marae for the pōwhiri marking the gifting of a formal name to the schools project by iwi.

This phase includes developing a big picture of how the schools and campuses will function both during the project and on its completion, as well as how the construction process will work.

Master planning consultations with iwi and the schools begin this week and will run for the remainder of the year, with wider engagement opportunities also planned.

Marlborough Boys’ College principal John Kendal said the gifting of the name put “the pou, or the rākau (metaphoric foundation) in the ground”.

Dr Peter Meihana said it was an important day for the iwi of Te Tauihu, and Wairau in particular.

“The project and the unveiling of the name today signifies that there's real momentum, and for me, it's about alignment,” he said.

Girls’ College principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch said it was an exciting time for “rangitahi, staff and [the] community”.

“I really take my hat off to the ministry and to iwi for working alongside the schools. We're actually creating a new way of working together, which I think is going to be better for our schools and our community going forward,” she said.

Bohally Intermediate principal Nicky Cameron-Dunn expressed appreciation for being able to work collaboratively with iwi, the ministry and the colleges to create “something really special for our community that's long-lasting and that Marlborough can be really proud of”.

“The community probably needs to understand that it will take time and there will be disruptions, but we want this project to meet our high expectations of delivering amazing education to everyone here in Marlborough,” she said.

Iwi working group spokesman Dr Peter Meihana said it was an important day for the iwi of Te Tauihu, and Wairau in particular.

“We've been working with our partners for quite a number of months now, and today has brought a lot of that work together,” he said.

“This is a project where all the iwi have come together to advance a common kaupapa,” he said.

“For us, it's not just a case of putting some buildings together and then opening a new school. It's about laying some foundations that we believe will have positive education outcomes, not only for the Māori community, but also the Pākehā community and all the other whānau that have come to Marlborough to make this place their home.”

“In years to come, everybody who goes to that school will feel that they've not only got a connection to the school itself, but the Wairau as a whole, so it's pretty important stuff for us.”

The nine values of Te Tātoru o Wairau

Whakapapa: reinforces the connections between all of us

Te Reo Māori: The acquisition, maintenance, promotion and revival of te reo Maori, a taonga, is a priority

Ūkaipō: Reinforces schools as a place of comfort, nourishment, inspiration and learning

Kaitiakitanga: To nurture, protect and preserve

Manaakitanga: Provides us with opportunities to engage with people, individually and collectively

Rangatiratanga: Requires us to behave in a way that attracts favourable comments from others

Whanaungatanga: Reminds us that our achievements are typically the result of collaborative effort

Kairangi: Dictates the pursuit of excellence in all our activities

Kotahitanga: Values the ethic of working together towards the achievement of common goals.