Place attachment of Ngāi Te Ahi to Hairini Marae

Abstract

Twelve members of Ngāi Te Ahi, a hapū from Tauranga, were interviewed to explore how they talk about their place attachment to Hairini Marae. This was organized around five key dimensions of place attachment taken from the literature—continuity, distinctiveness, symbolism, attachment and familiarity. We found that in discussing all dimensions, place attachment was equally about social and cultural relationships, history, and socialization. Place attachment for groups such as Māori is complex because it encompasses all social relationships past and present. The implication for those working with Māori is to take seriously the wider connotations of place when talking to Māori about marae, traditional homelands, and their land.