A place to stand  

Mangatangi Marae is near the end of a six-stage upgrade project to reinforce its role as a gathering place for the hundreds of Māori families affiliated to it.

From the 2010 Annual Report
Based in Mangatangi, near Miranda south of Auckland, the marae has been upgrading its buildings since 1996, including ablutions, kitchen and now the dining area.

For the Ngati Tamaoho hapu, Mangatangi Marae is a place to gather for community events such as korowai wananga (cloak making classes) and raranga wananga (weaving classes). Whanau wananga teach family members traditional skills such as kapa haka, karanga and whaikorero (speechmaking), while the kaumatua have run te reo and tikanga wananga (language and culture classes) to pass on their knowledge to the whanau.

ASB Community Trust recognises the special role of the marae to the communities in our region and Mangatangi Marae is in strong alignment with the Trust’s strategy for marae funding. This year a Trust grant helped complete the marae’s whare kai (dining room).

The marae welcomes community use of its facilities and younger family members are encouraged to return to join in sports days, discos and talent contests. They also learn about their whakapapa, hapu and iwi links and the history of their region. The marae also holds hui around the issues facing young people, such as employment, alcohol, drugs and education.