He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

What is the greatest thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

That whakataukī came to life at Waikawa Marae in Marlborough when over 50 rangatahi and whānau gathered for a weekend wānanga unlike anything the marae had seen before. Led by local rangatahi Tumoana Tahuri, the Mau Rākau wānanga brought together participants from around Aotearoa for two days of cultural learning, physical training, and deep connection to te ao Māori.

Through our partnership with Tindall, Top of the South Community Foundation was proud to help make this kaupapa possible — covering the cost of hiring the marae for the weekend.

A kaupapa rooted in identity

Mau Rākau is the traditional Māori martial art of weaponry. But a Mau Rākau wānanga is never only about physical training. It is an act of cultural preservation — a way of passing knowledge, identity, and responsibility from one generation to the next.

At Waikawa Marae, that responsibility fell to Tumoana Tahuri: a young rangatahi leading his people at his own marae, surrounded by experienced practitioners dedicated to ensuring Mau Rākau endures.

What the wānanga delivered

Across the weekend, participants engaged in five interconnected areas of learning and growth.

Tauira began with cultural immersion — grounding themselves in the whakapapa and pepeha that form the foundation of Mau Rākau. They moved through weaponry training, learning the art of stances, strikes, blocks, and counters from experienced practitioners. Physical conditioning was woven throughout, with rigorous drills designed to build strength, agility, and coordination.

Equally important was spiritual grounding. Karakia and other spiritual practices connected participants with the deeper meanings and values of Mau Rākau — a reminder that this taonga is inseparable from te ao Māori. And through haka, cultural activities, and the experience of living and learning together, a strong sense of whanaungatanga emerged among all who took part.

As Adrienne Thompson, from fundholder organisation He Kai kei Aku Ringa, reflected:

"This was a beautiful wānanga to be a part of and Tumoana continues to be a champion of mau rākau in our region with more kaupapa in the pipeline. Massive mihi to Top of The South Community Foundation for your belief in, and support of this kaupapa."

A first of its kind

This was the first Mau Rākau wānanga to be held at Waikawa Marae — and by all accounts, it set a high standard for what is to come. The manaakitanga and whanaungatanga shown across the weekend have created a strong foundation for future wānanga and gradings in the rohe.

Tumoana Tahuri is not stopping here. More kaupapa are already in the pipeline, and the momentum built at this wānanga will carry forward.

A partnership that makes it possible

This funding was made possible through Top of the South Community Foundation's partnership with Tindall — a partnership that supports Māori-led initiatives across Te Tauihu. It reflects our commitment to backing rangatahi to lead, to protect taonga, and to create spaces where communities can come together in strength and identity.

To find out more about Waikawa Marae and this kaupapa, visit waikawamarae.com or follow them on Facebook.

Together, we are building a stronger, more connected community across Te Tauihu.