How it works
Hinemaia in Action
Marae lead. We support. Hapū decide. The benefits come home.
Te tikanga o te mahi
The arrangement, stated plainly.
There is nothing complicated about how this works, and that is deliberate. A marae hosts. We carry the work that sits around the hosting. The hapū decides what is shared and what is not.
Everything below is a consequence of that one arrangement.
Marae lead their own Te Ara experiences.
The host community carries their own stories, tikanga, kai and space, from the first welcome through to the final farewell.
We support with coordination, marketing and logistics.
The work that sits around an experience — booking, travel between places, telling people it exists — is ours to carry.
Hapū decide what is shared and how it is shared.
Nothing is offered that the people of that place have not chosen to offer, on the terms they set.
Benefits flow back to our people and our whenua.
Employment, marae, whānau and cultural revitalisation — the return stays where the experience came from.
Who does what
A clear division, agreed up front.
Confusion about roles is where these arrangements usually fail. So we settle it before anything begins.
The marae, hapū or whānau
- Decides whether to host at all
- Chooses what is shared and what stays home
- Sets the tikanga the experience runs by
- Names who speaks, who hosts and who guides
- Sets numbers, seasons and access
- Can pause or stop at any point
Hinemaia
- Finds and prepares the manuhiri
- Handles booking, payment and enquiries
- Coordinates travel between each Te Ara
- Briefs visitors on tikanga before arrival
- Carries insurance, contracts and compliance
- Makes sure the return reaches the community
A Te Ara
How one comes together.
From a first conversation to manuhiri standing on the marae.
The first kōrero
A hui with no proposal attached. We want to understand your people, your whenua and whether this is even something you want.
Shaping it together
The community decides the kaupapa — what the experience is about, what it includes, and what it does not.
Setting the tikanga
How manuhiri are welcomed and farewelled, what is expected of them, and where the boundaries sit.
Preparing the hosts
Whoever is hosting works through the practical side — timings, kai, safety, and who covers whom.
The first manuhiri
A small group, deliberately. Enough to learn from, few enough to adjust around.
Sitting down afterwards
What worked, what did not, what changes. Nothing is locked in from the first attempt.
For manuhiri
What a visit asks of you.
You do not need to know Māori culture before you arrive. You do need to arrive ready to listen.
- You will be welcomed properly
- Most experiences begin with a pōwhiri or mihi. Your guide will explain what is happening and what is asked of you before it starts.
- You are a guest, not a customer
- You are being brought into someone's home and history. The relationship matters more than the itinerary.
- Some things will not be shared
- There will be kōrero, places and moments that are not for visitors. That is not a gap in the experience — it is the point.
- Ask before you photograph
- People, buildings and taonga all carry their own considerations. When in doubt, ask.
- Numbers are kept small
- Groups stay small so that hosts can host well and the whenua is not worn down.
Our stories.Our way.Our terms.
An invitation
Let us explore together what a Hinemaia pathway could look like for your marae.