Kōrero Pūrākau Kenepuru

Kenepuru is a name based on the whenua, it translates literally as the silt that is carried by water, and this feature forms much of the Porirua Harbour today. The stream, the harbour (Pari-Rua) and Raukawa Moana (Cook Strait) were all important food sources for the various iwi who have lived in the area. The term Kenepuru speaks of both sustenance and movement from the small stream to the wider sea, and these ideas are reflected in the Praxis logo. The school is situated on a bank overlooking the stream. The area was regarded by Ngāti Toa as a place of healing and nourishment.

The earliest settlement around the area known as Kenepuru dates back as far as 1450. The original village of Porirua (dated from the 1860’s) was located on the banks of the (then) meandering Kenepuru stream.  Beginning in 1960 the stream was straightened, and in the process nearly a million cubic metres of rock and soil were removed and dumped into the south end of the harbour. Much of the city today has been built on this platform. The straightening of the stream has created a range of environmental problems including loss of traditional food sources from the stream and in the harbour as it has become silted up.

The name Kenepuru was gifted to Praxis by Dr Te Taku Parai, a kaumatua of Ngāti Toa, who shared these pūrākau with the team on April 8th 2022. Kenepuru refers to the site, Praxis Education refers to the activities that we carry out in this place.