Kingslea cultural centre opened

Press, 13 December 1986, Page 10

Kingslea cultural centre opened

The consecration and official opening of Kingslea Girls’ Home’s new cultural centre and marae yesterday was symbolic. The gathering together of people from Maori, Pacific Island and European cultures for the ceremony symbolised the centre’s aim of togetherness for all races in New Zealand.

The ceremony, in Maori, Samoan, and English, started with a Maori challenge to the guests of honour, the Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Hercus, and the Mayoress of Christchurch, Lady Hay.

A Christchurch Maori elder, Mr Hori Brennan, guided the official party and about 150 other guests on to the marae area outside the centre. The centre is not of traditional Maori design. It is painted weatherboard, with a deep porch and Maori art panels around the .door and the edge of the porch roof. Tukutuku panels inside depict kiwis, Mount Cook, Halley’s Comet, and woven into one about canoes is “KZ7.”

A big mural which was curtained over on one wall, was unveiled during the ceremony.

Mrs Hercus said she believed Te Oranga Cultural Centre would give the young women of

Kingslea a turangawaewae (a place to stand). It would be a place of gathering and learning of other cultures. What was learned there would help dispel the doctrine that the pakeha knew best what was good for the Maori, she said. “Institutional biculturalism means that the concerns of the Maori (and Pacific Islander) will be written into the system,” Mrs Hercus said. “Unfortunately, many parts of New Zealand society are not as culturally sensitive or committed to multi-culturalism as Kingslea,” she said. Kingslea’s acting principal, Mr John Dunlop, said the ceremonies had started just after midnight yesterday. A dawn service had been held. The centre was a building which had been moved from elsewhere at Kingslea. Staff and girls had worked on the decorations for about two months, guided by Mrs Ruahine Crofts and Mr Shane Ngaia. Mr Dunlop said all the girls were benefiting from the centre.

“They are already showing that they appreciate the newness of a different culture," he said. “They have all experienced pakeha culture, so this can teach them something of others.”