In January 2005 Kopinga marae was opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark at a ceremony attended by the Māori queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, MP Annette King and local elders. A source of inspiration to contemporary Moriori, Kopinga is the only Moriori marae on Rēkohu (Chatham Island). The pou that stands in the centre of the house is dedicated to Moriori ancestors and to the sacrifices they made in holding fast to the covenant of peace, despite the heavy price paid when the islands were invaded in 1835. The unofficial flag of the Chatham Islands is visible above the New Zealand flag.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Hokotehi Moriori Trust
Photograph by Sharon Pirika
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Tāpiritia te tākupu hou