Ko Pukeatua te mounga Ko Waiwhetū te awa Ko Waiwhetū te marae Ko Arohanui ki te Tangata te pouwhare Ko Ngāti Puketapu, ko Ngāti Hāmua, ko Te Matehou ngā hapū Ko Te Āti Awa te

Decisions relating to pōhiri protocol rest with individual marae. Generally speaking, if you have been invited as a guest to a pōhiri on a marae, than you would follow procedures set by your marae hosts. Below is an general outline of the pōhiri process, in accordance with Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui tikanga.

Ngā Tīkanga o te Whakaeke Marae - Pōhiri Procedure

Te Tīmatanga - The Beginning a. A karakia, or prayer, is said to ensure the safety of the people and to ensure that all stages are carried out without disturbance. A karakia should be said by both manuhiri and . b. It is expected that the manuhiri group have met prior to the pōhiri to discuss the group’s roles and responsibilities, allocate karanga and speaking roles and to determine an appropriate koha. Usually guest will arrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier to discuss this. Once this process has happened, the manuhiri wait at the tomokanga, or gate entrance, of the marae with women and children flanked closely by the men. This indicates to the tangata whenua that they are ready to be received on to the marae. c. In accordance with Taranaki tikanga, the pōhiri be taking place within the whare nui, therefore, with the exception of the kaikaranga, or caller, the tangata whenua will be gathered within the house.

Te Karanga - The Call On the whole, a woman, or women, from the host side calls first to indicate to the manuhiri that it is time to move forward on to the marae.

This is normally answered by a woman's response from the manuhiri. The purpose of the karanga is to weave a spiritual rope to allow the “” of the manuhiri to be brought on. It should never be broken and the sound should be continuous, each side weaving in and out of each other. The karanga also opens the tapu of Te Maraenui-ātea-o-Tūmatauenga to allow safe passage across for the manuhiri.

The karanga is not just a call of one person to another. It is a spiritual call that has been heard in for generations and generations and it provides the medium by which the living and the dead of the manuhiri may cross the physical space to unite with the living and the dead of the tangata whenua.

The karanga awakens the emotions. It brings awareness that what is happening is not just a simple act onto a marae - there is a presence of people, both physical and spiritual. The whole procedure of coming together is based upon a tradition that is as meaningful today as it is in the past. Whilst most karanga that are heard today are a, somewhat, diluted version of what was heard in the past, this process is a vital part of the pōhiri process and is governed by the mana of women. It is expected that this process will be as long or as short as required by the kaikaranga themselves. Often this process was used as a time to relay important messages about activities that have occurred since the last time the two groups may have met that will become important in the later stages of the pōhiri process and will need formal acknowledgement by either side.

Te Whakaeke Manuhiri - Manuhiri Movement During the manuhiri movement process, once the guests have arrived at the centre of the marae ātea, about half way between the gate and the whare nui, and have observed a period of remembrance of those who have passed on, the male members of the oncoming group will move ahead of the women and proceed in front of them from this point onwards. The process of karanga will likely continue, however the calls of the guest’s kaikaranga will be from behind their men.

Te Mahi Harirū, te Mahi Hongi hoki - The Greeting Immediately following the karanga, and potentially during the pōhiri process, should that be occurring, the harirū and hongi process will commence. Most likely this will occur within the immediately upon entering the house. The guests will line up, with the speakers going in first, in order from first to last, followed by all the males, then the kaikaranga, followed by the remaining females in the oncoming group. The hosts will be arranged in a line with either the kaikaranga being first or, in some cases, directly after the speakers’ bench, followed by any remaining males and female respectively.

Generally, the left hand is placed on each other’s shoulder and then, depending on the tribal area and often the personal preference of your host, you would press noses either once or twice. In any encounter situation the hongi brings all the senses into close contact – the touch, the sight, the hearing, the smell and even as a total whole the taste of human contact.

The origins of the harirū is said to date back to the arrival of the first European ships, whereby English naval officers greeted Māori, not by the traditional pressing of noses, but rather by extending the hands and offering the phrase, “how do you do?” which, to Māori ears, sounded like the word we have now come to know this process as, harirū.

It would be worthwhile, for those not yet familiar with the hongi, or even those relatively unaccustomed to it, to practice this ahead of the pōhiri to prevent the unfortunate, yet often occurring, head-butting of your host. It is also important to note that at one point in time, following European contact; women did not often practice hongi, but were rather greeted with a kiss on the cheek. Since then, we have experienced a kind of cultural resurgence in that Māori women often expect a hongi, just as any man might, so it would be wise to expect either, or both, of these practices.

Koha – Gifts In the Taranaki region, as well as in parts of the region, we do not place the koha on the ground, but rather it is discreetly presented to the host speakers during the hongi and harirū process. This action is known as kōkohu, which means to do something secretly, in which it is essentially palmed off to the first host speaker by the last guest speaker. This then gives an indication to the host as to how many speakers the guests have by the number of speakers that went before the person giving the kōkohu.

It is normally the prerogative of the manuhiri to decide how much to give and an assessment can be made based on how much it costs to accommodate people per day for the number of days they are staying. It is also the obligation of the manuhiri to present a koha down no matter how long the visitors remain, even if it is only for one or two hours. To increase the mana of the manuhiri, it should be remembered that the assessment of the size of the koha should err on the liberal side.

Once the Hongi and Harirū process has been completed, the manuhiri move to take up the seats provided with the speakers sitting in the front row of seats. The seating arrangements, particularly that of the designated speakers and callers, will vary depending on the marae, iwi, the placement of the seating and the direction in which they are facing. Typically, the speakers will arrange themselves in relation to the front wall of the meeting house, whereby the first speaker of the tangata whenua and the last speaker of the manuhiri will be seated closest to this space, or the apex of the meeting house, in which case speakers will be arranged from first to last speaker in a direction away from the centre of the house. In the case of Arohanui ki te Tangata, the speakers will be arranges in relation to the back wall of the meeting house and it is expected that the men will sit at the front of the group, while the women will sit at behind.

Ngā Whaikōrero - The Speeches There are two methods by which the speakers interact. There has been some debate as the origins of these two styles, however, one theory states that they came from the very beginning of the Māori narrative, in which the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku debated the future of the parents. The order in which they spoke is seen as the origin of these two models, in that, while some spoke progressively and cumulatively, others spoke dialogically, with the presentation of alternate arguments. Sadly, in present times, there is largely only one speaker from either side so it is often difficult to distinguish what style of speaking is being used at any particular pōhiri.

Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui marae adhere to the pāeke method of speaking and, as such, the hosts will speak en bloc, followed the visiting speakers. This method often allows the host speaker to structure the presentation of their deliveries in a way that they intended and often each speech can be seen a one part of a larger, collective narrative. The pāeke method also often tests the memory banks of the visiting speakers, because they must wait until all the host speakers have orated before they respond.

Traditionally only the experts in the art of oratory would stand to speak to the opposite group. The purpose of the whaikōrero is to acknowledge and weave together the past, present and future, by acknowledging the creator, guardians, the dead (ngā hunga mate), the living - those present at the pōwhiri (ngā hunga ora) - and laying down the reason, take or kaupapa, for the pōhiri or event that will take place. It is most crucial that speakers have the ability to express and convey the opinions and feeling of the group that they represent as a whole. There have been numerous instances where speaker were publicly admonished for their inability to perform this task effectively. Any group that puts forward speakers not yet capable of uplifting the importance of this process only serve to do a disservice to the host people and may be looked at disapprovingly.

Waiata Tautoko - Supporting Song Often termed as a kīnaki, or relish, the purpose of the waiata tautoko is to show that the people support the speaker and what he has said. Kīnaki often compliment what has been said, the occasion surrounding the pōwhiri, acknowledge the speakers or the group itself. The significance of the waiata tautoko is often underestimated, it is, however, hugely important that both tangata whenua and manuhiri alike have taken some time to learn a number of waiata appropriate to the pōhiri process and are prepared to deliver these when necessary;

“At a broad level, make sure you know your Marae 101’s: mihi, waiata, hongi. Be prepared to show that you have done your homework and take a Māori relationship seriously. Pronounce Māori words properly. Be prepared to stand up and say a mihimihi. Know how to hongi. Learn a waiata. This stuff matters to Māori. They will be pleased at your efforts. Be prepared.”

Once this process has concluded the mouri of the occasion will be returned to the hosts, whereby the tangata whenua will have an opportunity to outline the next movement and invite the manuhiri to proceed to the whare kai. If any matters may have arisen during the whaikōrero process that may need immediate consideration, in order for the hosts to retain the mana of the occasion, this may also be an important time for the hosts to address them. Typically, however, this is merely an occasion for the host to invite their guest to the hākari.

Te Hākari - The Feast Once the formal welcome and reply protocol has been concluded, the tapu of the pōhiri process will then be removed from both groups by the sharing of kai. The tangata whenua and the manuhiri are now considered to be one entity and are now free to intermingle for the duration of the occasion. From this point on, the guests are considered as part of the tangata whenua and they may assist in welcoming further arrivals.

It is a matter the highest importance for the host people to be seen to as a generous host and for the visitors to respect all that has been put forward by them, as a sign of respect. Traditionally, bloody conflicts could arise from the strain that guests can put on their hosts and their resources, through their inability to care for their visitors, thus it is important for all, both tangata whenua and manuhiri, to show some reverence to this process. It is important to be respectful of your hosts and whatever kai they put forward to you, no matter how meagre those offerings may be, because it is likely that that has been all that they have been capable of providing for the ceremony. Conversely, should you be in the position of the host, it would be expected that you adhere to Māori protocol in being as generous a host as possible, to the point of excess, in an effort to add value to the situation. For Māori, this will never go unnoticed and it will only serve to strengthen the bonds of relationship between you and your guests.

It would be appropriate for guests to acknowledge their hosts and the bounty of their offerings to their guests, both physical and metaphorical, towards the end of the hākari, particularly if this is the one and only kai both groups will be sharing with one another. However this could be something that can be saved for the poroporoāki process.

As the name implies, the whare kai is the eating house, the place where the "inner being" is satisfied. This is a separate building, not necessarily as a physical reality but in some cases as a concept or belief.

The concept of tapu has many meanings: here it prescribes where food is eaten, where it cannot be eaten, and also where drinks can and cannot be drunk. To the Maori, food is a common element, known as noa, and the opposite of tapu. Whereas the whare nui is tapu and sacrosanct, thus food cannot be eaten there, the whare kai is free from tapu - the two are at opposite ends of a continuum, yet are of equal importance to the pōhiri process.

When called to go to the dining room for a meal, it is extremely good manners to wait for the older people in the group to be served first and make sure that they are seated comfortably before everyone else can take their places at the table. WAIT FOR KARAKIA. Before all meals in the whare kai, there is a prayer or grace said. Below is an appropriate karakia kai for this occasion;

He Karakia Kai A Blessing for Food

Nau mai e ngā hua Welcome the gifts of food O te wao, o te ngakina From the sacred forests, the cultivations O te wai tai, o te wai māori From the sea, and the fresh water Nā Tāne, nā , The fruits of Tāne, of Rongo, nā Tangaroa, nā Maru. Of Tangaroa, and Maru Ko Ranginui e tū iho nei Ranginui that stands above me Ko Papatūānuku e takoto ake nei Papatūānuku that lies beneath me Tūturu whakamaua kia tina! Tina! Let this be my commitment to all Haumi e, hui e, Joined together, gathered together Tāiki e Affirm!

Ngā Tikanga o te Marae Me Mātau Mōhio e te Katoa - Basic Marae Etiquette The following is an abridged list of basic marae etiquette, complied by Basil Keane for Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand that should serve as a guide for all visitors to marae.

Before the pōhiri • Arrive early. It is considered impolite to walk onto a marae once a pōhiri is underway. • Dress formally (this is particularly for a ) • Introduce yourself to other groups you don't know. • Ensure that your group has a speaker and kaikaranga organised. • Ensure cell phones are switched off throughout the pōhiri.

During the pōhiri • You should not just walk onto a marae; you need to be welcomed on. • Do not eat or drink during the welcome. • Do not walk in front of a speaker on the marae ātea. • Speak in Māori, not English, if giving a speech (unless expressly allowed).

After the pōwhiri • Wash your hands (water will be provided).

In the whare kai • Manuhiri will be called in for food. It is polite to let kaumātua go first. Often the person calling people in for food will say who should come first. • Do not pass food over a person’s head in the whare kai. • Do not sit on tables.

In the whare nui • Remove your shoes before going into the wharenui. • Do not eat or drink in the wharenui. • Do not step over people. • Do not sit on pillows.

General marae etiquette • Most marae do not allow photographs, filming or tape recording without permission. • The area immediately in front of the meeting house is to be kept clear at all times, therefore you must walk around it. • Do not eat, drink or smoke in the area directly in front of it. • Do not walk over people, or across a line of speakers, who are not to be interrupted unduly in any way. Walk around both at all times.