Māori culture

Introduction

Māori were New Zealand's first settlers. They made an epic journey from the legendary Hawaiki (probably in Polynesia) to the north of New Zealand about 1000 years ago.

The great explorer Kupe, who legend says first discovered New Zealand, named the new land Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud.

In the 1830s there were around 125 000 Māori living in New Zealand and 2000 settlers. After the New Zealand Wars, the Māori population began to decline, while the European population increased markedly. Once the colonial society had been firmly established, the influence of Māori culture and language diminished under strong British cultural domination.

The Māori Renaissance is a cultural movement that began around the 1970s. It has meant that Māori influence on various forms of New Zealand arts, language and communication has become more prominent, with use of the language in schools and kindergartens becoming commonplace.

Pōwhiri

We discuss pōwhiri protocol in depth when you first arrive in Hawai'i, and again in Northland. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and become comfortable with the procedure before you participate in your first pōwhiri.

The information provided below is an introduction to this aspect of the culture.

The pōwhiri is the ceremonial welcome extended to visitors to the marae of the home people. The various elements of the pōwhiri serve to ward off evil spirits and unite both visitor and host in an environment of friendship and peace.

The pōwhiri typically consists of 8-10 stages with variations for each tribe:

• Taki(-na) - Challenge
  
• Karanga(-tai) - Call
  
• Karakia - Prayers
• Haka pōwhiri - Welcome Dance
  
• Mihi/Whaikōrero - Greetings/Speeches
  
• Waiata(-tia) - Song
• Koha - Gift
  
• Hongi - Embrace
  
• Hākari - Feast

Marae and school visits

At every Marae and many schools, you will be welcomed with a pōwhiri.

A speaker will be designated for your group to speak at each pōwhiri. Once the host party have greeted you, your speaker responds with a whai kōrero and presents the koha. Then the whole group sing a waiata.

You will be briefed about pōwhiri and Māori protocol during your stay in Paihia, Northland, and we will ensure that you feel comfortable about participating.

Koha

Fulbright New Zealand will provide your group with koha for your speaker to present to the host party.

Waiata

We will learn and practise a waitata at the orientation in Hawai'i. It will be a short song (one verse and one chorus) sung in Māori.

For information about the pōwhiri and its protocol, visit the Tourism New Zealand website and tikanga.maori.org.nz.

Customs of the marae

Entering a marae

• Go onto the marae in silence - this ceremony is a gathering of the living and the dead
• Shoes are removed before entering the whare nui
• Leave personal items outside until the pōwhiri is concluded
• Certain places in the whare nui are reserved for the seating or sleeping of kaumātua (usually by an entrance, but depends on kawa)

Whaikōrero

• On some occasions only the Māori language is used during the whaikōrero
• Sit in the front row if you are a speaker; otherwise occupy the rear seats
• Do not walk about while speeches are in progress, and never walk directly in front of a speaker
• The marae ātea is tapu throughout the welcoming ceremony and should be treated with respect
• At the conclusion of the welcome the marae ātea ceases to be tapu and becomes noa
• In the whai kōrero exchange the last speaker should be from the tangata whenua
• Attitudes to women speaking on the marae vary, so local kawa should be ascertained and followed
• Children are welcome but should be reasonably quiet during the speeches

Dining area

• Do not keep seats for friends in the whare kai
• Wait for grace to be said before starting your meal
• After the meal, be prepared to help the ringa wera in the preparation of food or with washing dishes

General

• A marae is not a public park - it is the home of a group of people
• In the physical contact between the hosts and guests, you may harirū, hongi or kiss, as you choose
• Tangata whenua will make you welcome, but will expect you to follow the kawa of the marae
• Do not use cameras or tape recorders unless prior permission has been obtained
• Never sit on a table or pillows

Photos

The photo policy is different for every marae and school. You will be briefed prior to each visit, but ask before taking photos.

Note: Some schools and sightseeing ventures will also have photo policies. If in doubt, ask before you take the photo.

Glossary

Practice pronunciation

Learn how to speak Māori correctly by visiting the Online Te Reo Course.

Greetings

• Haere mai - come foreword, welcome
• Haere rā - farewell
• Kapai - okay
• Kia ora - hello

School

• Kōhanga reo - Māori preschool
• Kura kaupapa - school
• Whare wānanga - university

On the Marae

• Hāngi - food cooked in an earth oven, the earth oven itself
• Harirū - handshake
• Hongi - to press noses
• Hui - meeting/gathering for a specific purpose
• Kai(-nga) - food, to eat
• Karanga - call of welcome
• Kawa - etiquette
• Mana - quality of authority/control/power/prestige
• Marae - ground, meeting house
• Marae ātea - space in front of meeting house
• Mihi - greet, speeches
• Noa - free from tapu
• Pōwhiri - to welcome, the process of welcoming
• Taonga - things that have value to a person that have been handed down the generations
• Tapu - confidential, forbidden, private, prohibited, sacred
• Waiata(-tia) - song, to sing
• Waka - canoe, vehicle
• Whai kōrero - to make a speech; a formal speech
• Whaikōrero - make speech
• Whare - building, house
• Whare kai - place to eat
• Whare nui - hall

People

• Hapū - extended family with a common ancestor
• Iwi - people, wider tribal groups
• Kaumātua - elders
• Māori - native people
  (note: the plural of Māori is Māori)
• Pākehā - Generally understood as persons of European descent, but whose values and practices are a product of their New Zealand location; also understood as all people who are of non-Māori descent
• Rangitira - leader, older adult
• Ringawera - marae caterer, kitchen helper
• Tangata whenua - home people, people of the marae
• Whānau(-tia) - family

More on the Māori culture

Reference website	Reference website
Visit www.maori.org for information on Māori legends.	For inforamtion on Māori songs visit the NZ Folk Song website.

Next:	Education system