The Māori community in Beach Haven have longed for a space where they can collectively celebrate and enhance their Māori identity which includes Māori customs, practices, language, values and world views. Te Reo Māori is inextricably linked to Māori identity and is the window to Te Ao Māori (the Māori world). The marae is a safe place where respect for one another is universal, where kaumātua are truly valued and honoured, where children are nurtured and safe. The intention is that the Beach Haven Marae is a space that can provide cultural benefits for all.
Most Māori based in the Beach Haven area have whakapapa connections to other areas in Aotearoa, unfortunately some are unable to return to their home marae due to finance and distance while others are estranged from their own marae for a number of reasons.
Tangihanga is an extremely important issue within the North Shore Māori community, where there is a lack of appropriate facilities and tangihanga end up being held in small houses, back yards, garages and carports. Emotionally, financially and logistically, ‘backyard tangi’ are challenging and add to the stress
of bereaved whānau who have no choice but to use these inadequate facilities. Since November 2015 Uruamo Maranga Ake have been consulting with community stakeholders to gauge the thoughts of the wider Beach Haven community in relation to a marae for the area. Feedback so far has been overwhelming with the majority of the community supportive of the establishment of a marae.
Many families in the area are excited by the potential for new learning opportunities for the whānau and see the marae as a place where non-Māori can learn about the Māori world.