Research - Marae & Place, Tapu & Noa

Marae, Malae

Open areas - have to have a reason for being there...Energy flow (see diagrams), internal space of surround buildings/fale.

Space dimensions - Maori maraes:

Research into Marae & Place: http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/1233/Nikora%20-%20Place%20attachment.pdf?sequence=1

With respect to the idea of place attachment applied to Māori:

• that place is a social concept as much as a physical one - while the environment and surroundings were mentioned, the main focus seems to be the people, the socialisation and the social relationships as being part of what is their attachment.
• a marker of memory, with reference to the past and childhood, recollections of play, visiting, remembering the families who lived in the area, grandparents who had passed away, parents who had passed
• in whakapapa, in dialogue and in thought, your connections are a reflection of who you are, where you come from, who you are related to, the mountain and river you associate with, the lands you can stake claim to and a pretty good indication of where you will be buried.
• the findings emphasize the importance of the marae beyond the physical space it occupies.

Tapu & Noa

A system of tapu and noa prevails when visiting a marae:

• The tapu-noa system distinguishes between places and events that are off limits or need to be given cautious treatment, and those that are safe and accessible to the majority.
• Tapu - many interpretations of tapu, but most emphasise a sacred quality and linked in some way to gods or divinities However, a more utilitarian view of the purpose of tapu was discussed by Te Rangi Hiroa who drew a connection between the use of tapu and the prevention of accidents or calamities, implying that a dangerous activity or location would be declared tapu in order to prevent misfortune. More than a divine message from the gods, or the recognition of status, the conferment of tapu was linked to healthy practices.
• Whaiora, Māori Health Development takes a similar view. Tapu is described as a type of public health regulation, basically concerned with the avoidance of danger and the promotion of good health 
• Noa - a term used to denote safety; harm was less likely to befall anyone who entered a noa location, ate food rendered noa by cooking, or touched a noa object.
• Noa can be thought of as a kind of blessing in that it removes tapu, eating removes tapu in this way....(eg. sharing a meal on the marae)

There is the expectation that on a marae, a cautious attitude should be adopted, since the laws of tapu and noa still prevail.

• On some marae, the left side of a meeting house is tapu, the right side is noa.
• Usually the marae ātea is tapu, at least for visitors until formalities have been exchanged.
• Visitors themselves may be regarded as tapu and tangata whenua might be reluctant to make any formal contact until the tapu state becomes noa.
• Cooked food is noa, so that the way of reducing tapu is to enjoy a meal together.

The laws of tapu (and the corresponding state of noa) serve a different function in modern times than they did in earlier but some elements remain eg. behaviour on the marae atea - individuals are not at liberty to roam as they might wish, nor to behave in a manner not sanctioned by the rest of the community on the marae
(From Journal of Polynesian Society, Volume 108 1999 Volume 108, No. 4  Marae and implications for a modern Maori psychology, by Mason Durie, p 351-366 )