The group that attended the blessing ceremony recently, before work begins to move the fale to its new home close to Te Puna (B180)
New Zealand’s first Samoan fale tele built using traditional techniques and materials will be relocated to a new home at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus this year.
Last week a karakia led by Hare Paniora alongside Pasifika fanau members formally recognised its history and the beginning of its new journey.
Director of Pacific Success, Falaniko Tominiko says, “it was a really moving blessing where we acknowledged the history and importance of the fale to Unitec. Thank you Matua Hare for lifting the tapu and praying over our work and project team. Thank you Ricky for your prayer and to Linda, Rowena and Susan for sharing your beautiful memories of the fale.”
The new site for the fale, near Te Puna
Careful planning with the input of Samoan fale tele master builders will see the fale carefully moved from its current location outside Building 1 on Carrington and to its new home outside the heart of Unitec’s Mt Abert campus, Te Puna.
The history of Unitec’s fale tele dates back to 2001 and is the result of a concerted effort of Unitec and Pasifika communities. People and materials from across the entire Pacific region contributed to its construction – from the Samoan master builder and Tongan stonemason who handcrafted it, to the New Zealand timber and kilometres of Fijian coconut fibre rope used to build it.
Since its grand opening in 2004 the fale tele has served as a signifficantly important teaching resource for Design and Architecture students and it remains a treasured taonga for the entire community.
Inside the fale
Unitec Architecture lecturer Jeremy Treadwell played a key role in the development of the fale tele alongside former Architecture students who helped build the fale under the watchful eye of the principal Tufuga Faufale Kaitiano Smith, a traditional Samoan master builder.
Matua Hare blessed the fale in a ceremony recently
Learning and Achievement Manager A’anoali’i Rowena Fuluifaga shares some of her history and association with the fale, as a former Design lecturer whose experience spans over a decade of utilising this fale as a teaching resource/classroom, having seen so much scholarships develop from this fale.
Rowena says, “Our Unitec fale has a significant history as a Samoan fale not only for our tauira and community but nationally its one of the first if not of its kind constructed/commissioned in this way. What’s not mentioned in the original news article story is the stories from the Tufuga who supported the formation and planning alongside Jeremy Treadwell and the team at the time.”
Work will continue at the current location of the fale and at its new home to ensure all preparations are carried out correctly and carefully before the fale heads to its new home.
A final date and ceremonial celebration is yet to be confirmed but we will continue plotting the journey and its progress. Over the coming weeks and months we will feature stories highlighting its historical significance to ensure the memories are maintained for generations to come and those who helped bring it to life aren’t forgotten.