HomeDeaf EducationRūaumoko Marae

Ko Rūaumoko – It is Rūaumoko, Koropupu – Who makes the geysers burst, Ana te wai – The water boil, Ruana te whenau e! – Who makes even the Earth tremble!

Rūaumoko Marae has been part of Deaf Māori community for over 30 years and is a central part of the Māori Deaf community. Rūaumoko is a tūrangawaewae for Māori Deaf; a place to feel connected and to grow Māori Deaf identity. Rūaumoko Marae is the only Deaf marae of its kind in the world. Over the years Rūaumoko Marae has had many visitors from all around New Zealand including Ministers of Parliament and international guests including the Board of the World Federation of the Deaf.

Rūaumoko Marae takes its first breath

Opening of Rūaumoko Marae, 1992. Rachel McKee, Pat te Paa, Fonofili Va’alepu, John Wood, Darkie Graham.

Rūaumoko Marae was initially the brainchild of former teacher Carl Ross,​​ who realised classroom visits were not the best space to teach Māori Deaf students. It was opened on the 4th December 1992 at Kelston Deaf Education Centre (KDEC) as a cultural learning environment for Māori Deaf students to be themselves and embrace their culture, identity and language, outside the hearing world. Since its opening it has become much more than that, in particular to the Māori Deaf community throughout New Zealand.

Rūaumoko means “unborn child” and the God of Earthquakes. The Marae was named Rūaumoko at least in part because the floor were used to gain attention by stamping, sending tremors through the floorboards. Former Te Kaitiaki (caretaker) of the Marae Michael Wi explained “Rūaumoko makes the earth move and by doing so gets the attention of all creatures. This is a Deaf way too, Deaf people stamp on the floor to get attention because this sends vibrations through wooden boards”. The sign for Rūaumoko is made by spreading both hands out and shaking them from left to right like an earthquake.

Learning at Rūaumoko

1997 Rūaumoko Entry Carvings. Ivan Tamepo explaining the meaning behind the carvings to Kelston students, Zachary Best, Dylan Louie, Ryan Cassidy and James Pole.

1992 Rūaumoko Carving. Hilda Tamepo, Bill Katu, Bradley Poutai, Joseph Sua.

Rūaumoko plays a critical role in educating Deaf children from all over New Zealand about Māori culture and tikanga. The Marae has been supported by not only the KDEC board, but also by Māori Deaf leaders who are able to use Rūaumoko to engage with students.

Eric Matthews​ (Te Rarawa) first visit there was as a Deaf preschooler. He said: “Rūaumoko is a place that understands who we are as Turi Māori, where we can freely sign, and own our language.” In the early days, Matthews was taught by the late Michael Wi,​ a treasured member of the Turi Māori community. “He taught us how to sign our pepeha by using Māori mythology such as Māui. This was done in the form of drama. “It was a real honour to us students,” Matthews said.

Rebuilding the whare

Pōwhiri at Rūaumoko Marae

Holden Tangiwai-Spencer at the opening on 15 August 2019.

Rūaumoko Marae is fondly known as the “Heart of KDEC”. As Deaf awareness of Māori culture grew and evolved so did the need to rebuild the Rūaumoko whare for the Deaf, Māori and hearing communities of the future. Knighted kaumatua (Te Arawa) Sir Toby Curtis, Kuia Dame June Mariu (Te Whanau a Apanui) and Rev Judy Cooper (Ngati Hine) accepted to become patrons of the Rūaumoko rebuild. The new Rūaumoko Marae was opened at Kelston on 15 August 2019. Over 200 invited guests celebrated its opening. A very wet morning did not dampen the celebration for students, staff, Māori whanau, and visitors.

30 years of empowering Turi Māori

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Rūaumoko Marae, ākonga Turi Māori (Māori Deaf students) worked together to build the Marae in Minecraft. Not only does the digital version look like the real-world Marae, it also supports the purpose and function of the Marae. Nathan Martin, Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education NZ e-learning designer and developer, says building Rūaumoko Marae in Minecraft was an opportunity to continue the learning that has been happening over the past 30 years. “The intent of building the Marae was to create a legacy learning platform so students to come will build on top of what already has been built. Deaf history, Māori history. – Source: Education Gazette, Vol. 102, No. 8.

Note: This page was last updated 2022. Contributions are welcomed.

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2016
video – Taonga source: Attitude Pictures

The Deaf Toolbox: Making it on the Marae

At some stage in your life you may find yourself on a marae. We’ve put together some helpful tips in NZSL so you’ll feel right at home!
Attitude Pictures
Rūaumoko Komiti – Turi Māori
Rūaumoko Komiti – Turi Māori
Rūaumoko Komiti – Turi Māori
Est. 1992
Collection

Rūaumoko Komiti – Turi Māori

Tihei mauri ora! Turi Māori are here! SignDNA is proud to present the Turi Māori collection of historic video taonga. The majority of the content of the Turi Māori collection was donated by the Rūaumoko Komiti, with invaluable footage of wānanga, hikoi, and other important korero.
Rūaumoko Komiti
2017
article – Taonga source: Western Leader.

Milestone in deaf education

A multimillion dollar education centre is helping deaf students communicate. More than 400 people attended the opening of the Kelston Deaf Education Centre (KDEC) rebuild on February 28, 2017.
Western Leader.
1993
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

NFD Communicate: March 1993

National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
2022
video – Taonga source: Māori Television

Deaf filmmaker aspires to make TV series in sign language

A turi (deaf) filmmaker hopes to create a TV series entirely in NZSL to showcase the language to the world. Jared Flitcroft (Ngāti Maniapoto) enjoys telling stories from all kinds of people and perspectives but says stories from the Māori deaf community are imperative.
Māori Television
2014
video – Taonga source: Ministry of Education

Acknowledgements – Ko Wai Au? Who Am I? See My Voice?

An acknowledgement to all the team who helped make the Ko Wai Au? Who Am I? See My Voice? exhibition possible. Ko Wai Au is an exhibition empowering Māori rangatahi who identify as Deaf to communicate with others leading to a wider understanding of aspirations as young Deaf Māori.
Ministry of Education
2002
Object – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society

Pocket Patch: Māori / Pacific Deaf Rugby Invitational XV

Auckland Deaf Society
2002
video – Taonga source: Sara Pivac Alexander

International Postcard: New Zealand

DeafTV from Denmark makes a trip to New Zealand to feature the country and its Deaf community on its ‘International Postcard’ series, with scenes from a normal Friday night at the Deaf Club, a trip to the Deaf Association office. The Deaf Danish crew are also welcomed onto the Rūaumoko Marae.
Sara Pivac Alexander
1992
article – Taonga source: Western Leader

Marae for the deaf

A marae with a difference will open tomorrow in Kelston - it is for deaf children. Pupils of Kelston Deaf Education Centre will be able to learn more about Maori culture and marae protocol.
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

The Māori Deaf world: Interviews with Whiti Ronaki, Stephanie Awheto and Michael Wi

This raw, edited footage consists of interviews with Whiti Ronaki, Michael Wi and Stephanie Awheto - a trilingual interpreter, on topics relevant in the Māori Deaf world.
Rūaumoko Komiti
1995
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive

Michael Wi, Māori Deaf

Michael Wi, is profiled on ‘Marae’, where he shares his experience of growing up as Māori Deaf in a paheka-centric education environment, and learning as an adult about tikanga Māori, and marae protocols.
Television New Zealand Archive
2017
video – Taonga source: New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters

Te Tiriti o Waitangi in New Zealand Sign Language

This resource was created for the Treaty Times Thirty project, an initiative by the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters to translate New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti of Waitangi into 30 different languages.
New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters
2014
video – Taonga source: Ministry of Education

Ko Wai Au? Who Am I? See My Voice?

A video with six rangatahi communicating their stories of being young Turi Māori (Māori Deaf). The topics they discuss include recognition and acknowledgement of Deaf people in the past, Dame Whina Cooper and the impact of Kelston Deaf Education Centre.
Ministry of Education
2022
article – Taonga source: Stuff

Aotearoa’s first Deaf marae celebrates 30 years of empowering Turi Māori

Friday marks 30 years since the opening of the country’s first marae for Deaf and hard of hearing Māori. Since 1992, Rūaumoko Marae, in West Auckland’s Kelston, has been a place where Deaf students can learn about te ao Māori.
Stuff
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

Being Māori Deaf: Interview with Patrick Thompson

Raw footage of an interview with Patrick Thompson attempting to connect with a Māori culture he was denied growing up. Patrick provides a voice for Māori Deaf, to grow understanding about the challenges they face, and to promote the importance of NZSL.
Rūaumoko Komiti
2004
video – Taonga source: Rūaumoko Komiti

A Day in the Life of Rūaumoko Marae

Insight into the preparations that go into a powhiri onto Rūaumoko Marae, and rare footage of the powhiri itself, followed by an interview with Patrick Thompson.
Rūaumoko Komiti
2022
article – Taonga source: The Northern Advocate

Northland marae set up te reo and deaf sign programmes to grow national languages

Twenty marae across Northland want to grow the number of whānau who can speak te reo Māori ... in sign language. An eight week course, He Aha, is about to get under way to help whānau improve communication with tangata turi.
The Northern Advocate
1992
article – Taonga source: Western Leader

Deaf learn Maori culture

A Maori house of learning for deaf children was opened at the Kelston Deaf Education Centre in Auckland yesterday after many hours of voluntary work by deaf adults and pupils.
2016
video – Taonga source: Attitude Pictures

Accessible Marae – The Reply

A short video promoting an accessible marae funded by the Think Differently campaign, featuring Mita Moses.
Attitude Pictures
2003
article – Taonga source: Victoria News, Victoria University of Wellington

NZSL dictionary includes te reo Māori

Deaf New Zealanders now have access to te reo Māori vocabulary in the Online Dictionary of NZSL, compiled by Victoria’s Deaf Studies Research Unit.