Marae of Aotearoa

Marae are a key feature of Māori society. The marae is a place where the Māori language can be spoken, where customs can be explored and debated, and where important ceremonies, such as welcoming visitors, meeting inter-tribal obligations, or farewelling the dead can be performed. The marae is a wāhi tapu, a 'sacred place' which carries great cultural meaning. In Te Reo Māori, the marae atea is the open space in front of the wharenui (meeting house) which was traditionally part of a Pā (village). In modern usage the phrase is often shortened to marae, and has come to include all the land and buildings associated with the marae atea. Today marae are storehouses of history, mātauranga (knowledge) and taonga (treasures). Many marae are also venues for the provision of health, education, justice and social services. In legal terms, a marae is a meeting place registered as a reserve under the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 ('The Māori Land Act'). Each marae has a group of trustees who are responsible for the operations of the marae. The Act governs the regulation of marae as reservations and sets out the responsibilities of the trustees in relation to the beneficiaries. Traditional marae are normally owned by whānau, hapū and occasionally iwi. This means that marae are centres for whānau who connect with each other through whakapapa (genealogy). Since the mid nineteenth century, a number of urban marae have been established to serve the same purposes as traditional marae for Māori people living in urban settings. Many educational institutions have also established marae to provide a setting for their students, staff and communities. These non-traditional marae are based on kaupapa (theme) rather than whakapapa.

集会圣地（Marae）是毛利社会的核心特征。它既是毛利语的使用场景，也是人们探索、研讨传统习俗，举办迎宾仪式、履行跨部落义务或送别逝者等重要典礼的空间。集会圣地同时亦是圣地（wāhi tapu），承载着深厚的文化意涵。在毛利语（Te Reo Māori）中，marae atea指的是集会堂（wharenui）前方的开阔空地，传统上属于村落（Pā）的组成部分。现代语境中，该表述常被简化为marae，其内涵已拓展至与集会圣地场地相关的全部土地与建筑。如今，集会圣地是历史、知识（mātauranga）与珍宝（taonga）的贮藏库。不少集会圣地同时也是提供医疗、教育、司法与社会服务的场所。从法律层面而言，集会圣地是依据1993年《毛利土地法》（Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993）登记为保留地的集会场所。每一处集会圣地均设有受托人委员会，负责其运营管理。该法案对作为保留地的集会圣地的管理作出规范，并明确了受托人针对受益群体的权责范围。传统集会圣地通常由家族（whānau）、次部落（hapū）所有，少数情况下归部落（iwi）所有。这意味着集会圣地是家族成员通过宗谱（whakapapa，genealogy）相互联结的核心场所。自19世纪中期起，为服务定居城市的毛利群体，诸多城市集会圣地相继设立，其功能与传统集会圣地保持一致。诸多教育机构也设立了集会圣地，为师生及所在社区提供文化活动空间。这类非传统集会圣地以文化纲领（kaupapa）为核心依托，而非基于宗谱关系。