Last weekend MNZ held its third noho marae, with 26 people from 12 ethnicities gathered on Saturday morning at the gates of Omaka Marae in Blenheim to experience what was, for most, their first pōwhiri. 

The kaupapa of the MNZ Noho Marae programme is to provide new migrants to Aotearoa New Zealand the opportunity to be formally welcomed onto the land of their new home, to meet and learn of the culture, customs, and stories of tangata whenua, and to share their own cultures, customs, and stories in return.  

Many thanks to Marlborough Multicultural Centre for partnering with us for this fantastic event, and to the Omaka Marae iwi kāinga for their wonderful hospitality and delicious kai.  

We look forward to rolling this initiative out to other regions throughout the motu in 2024 and beyond, so watch this space!  

Please click here to see more photos.