In her decades of service for Te Herenga Waka marae, Te Ripowai Higgins (Tūhoe) has helped guide thousands of tauira Māori through their university journey. Wrapping support around those students—mentoring them in their academic pursuits, helping them adjust to life away from home for the first time, and ensuring they get fed—has made Whaea Te Ripowai something of a celebrity among students both past and present.

The marae has held a special place in the hearts of so many people for many years, and Te Ripowai is excited about that continuing—and being strengthened—with the Living Pā.

“I think the concept of the Living Pā is really forward-thinking. We really need to be aware of the resources that are being used so that we can save planet Earth,” she says.

“It’s not just about today—it’s about the future too. Generations of students will be able to come here and see how we’re doing things, and pass that on to their families—it’ll become the norm. Universities are exactly the type of institutions that should be leading by example in this area, so it’s quite exciting for Te Herenga Waka to be out front.”

She says it’s a great investment on the part of the University, and not just for Māori students. “The Living Pā is a project that will benefit the whole university and the wider community.”

Te Ripowai’s connection to Te Herenga Waka and its marae started nearly 40 years ago. She began her career at the University in 1989 as a lecturer in the Social Work programme. Her skill in te reo Māori (she is a native speaker), and her extensive knowledge of tikanga and te ao Māori were recognised by Professor Hirini Moko Mead, who was the University's first Professor of Māori studies. He offered her a lectureship at Te Kawa a Māui—she was later promoted to senior lecturer, and also held the position of head of school for two three-year terms. She later became the taurima (manager) and ruahine (female cultural leader) of the marae, holding the role of ruahine until she retired in 2016 after 27 years of service.

Te Herenga Waka marae was first established in a two-storey house on Kelburn Parade in 1980—the University was the first to establish a marae as part of its campus. The wider facility has served since then as a teaching space as well as a place to gather, with the carved wharenui, Te Tumu Herenga Waka, built in 1986.

Its name, which means ‘the mooring post of canoes’, accurately reflects the role the wharenui plays at the University, says Te Ripowai. “It exemplifies how the marae was set up—you get all tribes from across Aotearoa coming here, and they’re all represented in carvings in the wharenui. It’s like a written history of this place.”

As ruahine of Te Herenga Waka marae, it’s been Te Ripowai’s job to steer the tikanga and mauri of the marae, and ensure these are upheld. This role has allowed her to share her extensive knowledge of te ao Māori with not just students and staff, but a steady stream of national and international visitors to the marae.

In her role as taurima, Te Ripowai was in charge of organising Te Hui Whakapūmau, the Māori Graduation Ceremony, for many years. “I think the graduation ceremonies we hold at the marae have been the highlight of my work here—getting to meet all the different students and celebrate with their whānau and the wider marae family was a privilege,” she says. “The way we run these ceremonies makes them a big attraction for new students too. We end up with lots of different generations of the same whānau coming through the University.”

She says tangi are also an important part of marae life as well. “We have tangi here for people who have passed who were special to the marae. Many of them are brought to the wharenui before their bodies are taken home. Unfortunately, we’ve had students pass—it’s very sad, but it’s important to be able to do that for their whānau.”

As taurima, Te Ripowai was also in charge of organising—and helping cook—meals for tauira each day. “Professor Mead decided at the outset that we needed to feed the students to feed their brains, so we provide subsidised lunches every day. Boil-ups are probably the favourite! We get quite a few international students joining in for kai too.”

Te Ripowai says the marae has functioned as a home away from home for tauira—a typical day would see students roll in, make themselves a cup of tea or coffee, and “hang out” in the wharekai while they studied. Many liked to help out in the kitchen too.

“For Māori students, this becomes a second home. For those who didn’t grow up on a marae or who were still searching for their whakapapa, this is an ideal place for them to make those connections—it’s part of their studies, but they are able to live te ao Māori every day here at the marae, too. Even Pākehā and students from other cultures who’ve done their courses at Te Kawa a Māui—they’ve just loved it because they have that lived experience here.”

She says it’s heartening to see how many current Māori students have a strong connection to their iwi. “Gone are the days when young Māori were distanced from their marae—now most of them arrive here already actively participating in their culture, which I think is due to an increase in young people coming up through kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa.”

Te Ripowai believes all Te Herenga Waka students and staff are extraordinarily lucky to study and work somewhere that has a marae at its heart.

“There are some universities that have marae but they don’t have programmes that actively use it—it’s just saved for visitors or special occasions. But what makes Te Herenga Waka special is that it’s a living, working marae. That is something we can all be proud of.”