More Info →Te Pūtahi ā Toi

Description

In 2017, Massey University celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the opening of Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi, the home of the School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education.

Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi is the first permanent kāinga (home) for the School of Māori Studies, which was established in 1988 as a stand-alone department.

The building was designed by architectural designers Perry and Bill Royal of the Christchurch architectural firm Royal Associates.

On 8 March 1997, at a gathering of representatives from around New Zealand, traditional incantations, specific to the openings of whare, were conducted under the guidance of Dr Te Hiko o te Rangi. It was during this opening ceremony that the building got its official name, Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi.

The name, Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi, is a composition of a number of significant words. "Toi" comes from the ancestor Toi-te-huatahi, who was an ancestor of both the Te Arawa and Rangitāne tribes. The word "toi" also refers to indigenous peoples, knowledge, creativity and the pursuit of knowledge. "Te Pūtahi" refers to unity, the convergence of entities and a physical foundation or base. The name can thus be translated as "The Meeting Place of Toi" and also, "The Foundation of Māori Knowledge and its Pursuit".

Although technically not a marae but an academic building or whare wananga (house of learning), the building has a marae atea or area where people are welcomed and can meet.

Identification

Object type

Image

Date

October 14, 2021

Digitisation ID

2021BD_IMCA-DigitalArchive_035443_001

Format

Born Digital