More than 30 years ago, in 1992, Takahanga Marae and its wharenui Maru Kaitatea was opened, built on the exact site of a much older whare that stood in the hills above what is now Kaikōura township.
The stories of the marae - from it's fundraising and construction through to the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, when the marae fed and housed tourists trapped in the town - are told through a documentary The Bones of Our Past, released last month.
Takahanga Pā trustee Jacqui Te Wani was one of the people interviewed for the documentary and said it was an emotional watch, especially seeing archival footage of people who had since passed away.
"It also turned this woman into a weeping willow and that was not a pretty sight," she said. "I looked absolutely horrible.
"The major part is those who have gone, but it's just hearing their voices."
Te Wani was raised at Oaro, south of Kaikōura, by Rangi and Miriama Solomon, among the people of Ngāti Kuri.
Takahanga Marae is the subject of a documentary called The Bones of Our Past. Photo: Supplied/Cilla Harnett
"It was my dad's idea and his aspiration to build Takahanga Marae for the Kāti Kuri whānau, but not only for them - for those who decided to make Kaikōura their home away from home."
Producer Cilla Harnett said the idea for the documentary began in 2022, when Takahanga Marae was due to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its opening, but due to Covid, the celebrations didn't go ahead.
"I had a lot of connections to the marae and to the whānau down there, Kāti Kuri," she said. "Because of that, I was really keen to help out with the celebrations any way I could and usually that's helping out in the kitchen.
"I just got to thinking a lot about the marae, and the significance of the artworks on the marae and the wharenui, and the story behind it.
"From that, I thought maybe my skills would be better used documenting during the celebrations. The celebrations didn't happen and so, from that, the idea really grew to produce the documentary."
Producer Cilla Harnett originally intended documenting the Takahanga Marae's 30th anniversary celebrations. Photo: Supplied/Cilla Harnett
So far, Harnett has only heard good things about the documentary from the Kaikōura community.
"It's really inspiring for a lot of the younger people to get that insight into their parents and their grandparents of what they'd gone through," she said. "A lot of the older people loved it, because of all the archive [footage] we had in there.
"The rest of the general community in Kaikōura, I've only heard good things, which is awesome. There's that little element of the racism that exists in the story and, I mean, that is kind of common in a lot of small towns in New Zealand.
"There were a few people who commented, saying they didn't realise things were like that back then, so I guess, for some people, it's a little bit of an eye opener - that's awesome as well."
Harnett loved researching and sifting through the archival footage, which was a new experience for her.
When work started on the documentary, the main focus was on the arts of the whare, which was designed by the late artist Cliff Whiting, she said.
"Working through the whole process, it just became so much richer, when we all learned the breadth of the story," she said. "It wasn't just about the arts, it was also about the community and working together to build the culture back up."
The interior of the wharenui Maru Kaitatea, designed by the late Cliff Whiting. Photo: Supplied/Old Beach Farm Productions
Te Wani said Whiting was the key to bringing the marae together, teaching the whānau how to weave the tukutuku panels and make the carvings for the new whare.
"There's nothing and then there was us, I don't know how to emphasise that any more. We were literally a blank canvas and I know Cliff was shocked to hear that this whānau had nothing, but I think he was just as shocked that this whānau wanted to have everything and he was our key."
Te Wani said most of the Takahanga whānau were used to working behind the scenes, but the documentary brought them in front of the camera.
"To be honest, it was absolutely terrifying. In our world, it's nice to be behind the scenes and not in front of the camera, so you had to get over being so whakamā [ashamed] and being able to have, not just the ability, but the self esteem and the confidence to sit in front of that camera."
Takahanga Pā trustee Jacqui Te Wani was one of the people interviewed for the documentary. Photo: Supplied/Cilla Harnett
The making of the documentary was hard work, but belonging to Ngāti Kuri made the story unique, she said.
"It kind of takes over your life, but if you have the opportunity, do it. It's best for those who were there to have their kōrero heard and documented, than having it second or thirdhand, and even though it is overwhelming. I tell everybody just go for it, because it's our story."
Harnett said they wanted to make sure that the finished product stayed in the hands of Ngāi Tahu in terms of copyright and intellectual property.
The documentary ends with a photo montage of many of the people of Takahanga who have died over the years. Te Wani said, when that played to the whānau for the first time, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
"We're very proud that we are the people that we are today, so what I was like back in the day - before my Dad passed, which was in October 1977 - to the woman I am now in 2025, we are a testimony to their teaching," she said.
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