A powhiri (also called pohiri and powiri) is the traditional welcoming ceremony for the Maori people of New Zealand. It is most often used to welcome people onto a marae (traditional Maori meeting house and complex), but may also be used to welcome people in other situations. Knowing how to behave and what to expect can relieve fear or embarrassment for visitors or tourists when participating in this beautiful and powerful ritual.
What is a Powhiri?
Traditionally Maori lived in pa, or hilltop fortresses, from which they could see any approaching groups from rival villages. They could therefore send out warriors to greet such groups and divine their intentions. The modern powhiri, like its ancient counterpart, exists to establish the good intentions of the visiting group, and to display the strength and the hospitality of the hosts.
Powhiri ceremonies vary from tribe to tribe, but follow a similar format. They are performed when a group wants to enter the marae for a visit, for a formal meeting, for a tangi (funeral) or any other reason. It is respectful to wear formal clothes if possible, and especially for the women to wear skirts, and to wear black. This is not strictly necessary however, especially in powhiri performed outside the marae.
Protocol of the Powhiri
The manuhiri (visitors) will gather in front of the gate to the marae, or in a specified area if the powhiri is not being performed on a marae. It is polite to shake hands and introduce all the visitors to each other if they are strangers so that the manuhiri can move forward as a unified group.
A koha (small donation) may also be collected (usually not for powhiri held away from a marae). Do not ask how much to give, as it is a personal decision. Simply chose an amount, fold up the note or notes, or put the amount chosen into an envelope and give it to the person selected as the last speaker.
The manuhiri should stand close together and may not move forward until the karanga (call of welcome) is made. Depending on local tradition, men may be to the front or back of the group. Regardless, when the group moves forward, it should move quietly and together, with no hanging back.
A warrior may come forward and issue a wero (challenge). This is intended to discover whether the manuhiri come with peaceful intentions. He will brandish a taiaha (spear) and appear to threaten the visitors. He will lay a small, carved dart or a twig on the ground for a male member of the manuhiri to pick up as a sign they come in peace.
Enter at the Call of the Karanga
The tangata whenua (this means ‘people of the land’, or in this case, the hosts) then have their kai karanga (caller) cry out. This is called the karanga and may vary according to the caller and the occasion, but will usually include the words “haere mai”, or welcome/come here. The call also incorporates a prayer, and may describe the marae, the tribe and the ancestors.
The karanga is the sign for the manuhiri to move forward, and a woman from their group will return the karanga on their behalf. Each caller honors the group they represent and those who have gone before. If there is no suitable woman in the arriving group, the tangata whenua will provide a woman to be kai karanga for the manuhiri.
If directed into the meeting house at this point the manuhiri must remember to take their shoes off, but they may also be seated outside. There will probably be a pause in movement at some point in acknowledgment of the dead. Then, the manuhiri will sit down, usually with the honored guests and men to the front.
There will be some speeches of welcome and introduction. There will also be some waiata, or songs. It is considered polite to refrain from speaking during the speeches, and especially do not walk in front of a speaker. Generally, only Maori is spoken during these speeches. The last speaker of the manuhiri will present the collected koha.
Hongi or Sharing of Breath
The visitors are now invited to participate in hongi and hariru (handshake). Generally there will be a line of people and the visitors will move down the line. To hongi, two people will grasp each other’s right hand, putting their left on the other’s shoulder. They will then move forward to gently press noses, with eyes closed. Sometimes the noses are pressed twice or three times.
The hongi is intended to welcome the guests who are now considered tangata whenua for the duration of their stay.
The powhiri is one of the most beautiful and powerful of Maori rituals and is one a visitor to New Zealand may well have a chance to experience. When attended with respect and enthusiasm this ceremony can be enjoyed without fear or confusion, and become a treasured memory.
Here is some film depicting elements of the powhiri ceremony.
Rachel Sawaya - Rachel Sawaya is a freelance writer from New Zealand (who also has US citizenship), and currently lives in Auckland, the big smoke of New ...
Join the Conversation