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.
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.
30 years of empowering Turi Māori
1992 Rūaumoko Carving. Hilda Tamepo, Bill Katu, Bradley Poutai, Joseph Sua.
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.
“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”. 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.
