All monetary contributions received by Tūrangawaewae Marae were taken to the Rourou Iti office, where they were recorded and given to whānau and further allocated.
Koha is used as a gift, offering, donation and contribution to the hui.
Examples of koha could be food, money and taonga.
Iwi across the motu were seen offering their koha during the tangihanga of Kiingi Tuheitia to pay their respects.
Erin Paki (Waikato) has helped count these koha for the past 25 years, during which there have been various kaupapa with associated costs.
“Ko tā mātau mahi i roto nei ko te kohi – ka waiho mā te whānau tonu, ka waiho mā ngā kōmiti whakahaere e tuku, ka tuku atu te moni ki whea. Heoi anō, ko tā mātau ko te kohi i runga anō i te ngākau whakaiti, i runga anō i te rangimārie.”
Our role here is to collect [the koha] – we leave it to the whānau and committee to decide where it goes. However, our job is to collect it in the spirit of humility and peace.
In the Rourou Iti office, Erin manages the process of handling these contributions
“He ringarehe, he ringa hāpai, he pou whirinaki. Engari ko taku mahi i roto i te tari o te Rourou Iti, [ko] te tuku [i] ngā whakaaro ki ngā manuwhiri me te tuhi [i] tētahi rihīti mō te koha.”
I am a tradesman, a helping hand and a pillar of support here. My role in the office of te Rourou Iti is to hand over the contributions of the guests and write a receipt for the koha.
He was appointed to this role by his elders during the time of Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu. At that time, his generation and the elders were the custodians of the koha house.
“[He] kaupapa nui tēnei. Kua tae mai te marea, kua tae mai te tini o tangata me te whakaaro kia takoto i tētehi roimata, takoto i ngā kōrero. Nō reira ko [tā] mātau mahi he mea hei kanohi mō te Whare Ariki o Kiingi Tuheitia. Nō reira [he] mea nui kia whakaratarata ki ngā manuwhiri, kia rongo ai hoki ki te manaakitanga o tēnei marae.”
[Koha] is very important. Multitudes of people have arrived with the intention of presenting their tears (koha), presenting their kōrero. But our job is to be a face for te Whare Ariki of Kiingi Tuheitia. Therefore it is important to entertain the guests so they may feel the hospitality of this marae.
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said in pre-European times, [the koha] was kai and people would bring various different delicacies from the various iwi.
“Traditionally, at Koroneihana and at various events, we don’t stop each iwi from presenting their own whakaaro in their own way.”
Today, koha is primarily given in monetary form.