Arowhenua Marae is the principal Māori settlement in the Aoraki region, from the Rakaia to the Waitaki and back to the main divide. It is the home of Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, which looks after the aspirations of Kāti Huirapa, and it sits at 39 Huirapa Street in Temuka, South Canterbury. The community has been at Arowhenua since the Kāti Huirapa moved from the older pā site at Waiateruati. The website describes a largely voluntary organisation that covers social development, education, environment, culture and economy, and says the community works with local, regional and national partners. The Arowhenua Māori School, Tarahaoa, built in 1895, is described as one of the last surviving native schools in the South Island. The community also runs He Oranga Pai, a health clinic. The Māori Women's Welfare League has been active in the community since 1953, and the Opihi River that runs alongside the settlement is described as an important natural and cultural feature.
The website describes the community's aim to be guardians of the environments they live in, and to revitalise Te Hapa o Niu Tireni as a place people can always return to. The listing contains no visitor reviews or nearby figures. Our pick in Temuka for those who want to learn about Kāti Huirapa history and the settlement's community work.