wELCOME CEREMONY - HEAD BUTTING http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4513076.stm Warrior welcome http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/powhiri/the-ceremony/taki-challenge.cfm?2C0430DD-B520-4ADA-AC5B-F0B4687E0DFB /////////// http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/powhiri/powhiri-introduction.cfm Haere mai! Haere mai! Haere mai! Once! Twice! Thrice! Welcome. The powhiri is a ceremony of welcome extended to visitors by Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Here we invite you to follow the sequence of a powhiri, which we hope you will experience as part of your visit to our country. The traditions and protocol of the powhiri provide an insight into the unique and spiritual world of the Maori, which is as important today as in the past. The various elements of the powhiri serve to ward off evil spirits and unite both visitor and host in an environment of friendship and peace. The word powhiri encapsulates two important concepts to Maori. According to Waitangi kaumatua (elder), Wiremu Williams, of the Nga Puhi iwi (tribe), the word Po can be translated as a venture into the "unknown" or a new experience, while Whiri is derived from the term Whiriwhiri meaning the act or experience of exchanging information and knowledge. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND This presentation features images and recordings of the people of Waitangi, a small settlement in the Bay of Islands (on the east coast of the Northland peninsula), renowned for its historical significance, scenic beauty and great fishing. In 1840, Waitangi became the first location for the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement between the British Crown and Maori, and New Zealand's founding document. Each year on the 6th February (a national holiday), visitors to the Waitangi National Trust estate may be able to experience a formal powhiri celebrating the Treaty of Waitangi. ,.,,,,,,,, http://www.amazon.com/Orphans-Living-Stories-Americas-Children/dp/068484480X KAWA - PROTOCOL “Our ancestors were truly dependent on waka to get here. Acknowledging that is important. This is the kawa over here.” Kawa refers to the set of protocols by which a Maori iwi (tribe) or whanau (extended family) govern themselves. Haka Powhiri - click for more. Apirana Ngata taking the lead in a haka on Waitangi Day, 1940 More about this image Each tribe throughout New Zealand practises their own variation of kawa on their home marae (tribal meeting places). Before the powhiri (welcoming ceremony), the kawa is conveyed to the visitors so that they understand what is expected of them. Thus the kawa determines how both the hosts and visitors interact within the sacred boundaries of the marae. At the Waitangi National Trust estate, the powhiri may commence at the whare runanga (ancestral house of learning), or at the site of the mighty waka (vessel) Ngatokimatawhaorua, which can be seen inside the korowai or waka shelter overlooking Hobson's Beach. ======== http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/powhiri/the-ceremony/taki-challenge.cfm?2C0430DD-B520-4ADA-AC5B-F0B4687E0DFB Taki ~ Challenge “In earlier times people would test it, really test it. Whilst you would put up your best warrior, the visitor would also have some equally qualified people amongst them.” Before the powhiri can begin, the hosts must challenge the manuhiri (visitors) to make sure of their intentions and rest assured they come in peace. On the Waitangi National Trust estate this is known as the taki. On other marae (tribal meeting places) it is known as the wero. 'Wero', literally means 'to cast a spear' and is the traditional challenge accorded to distinguished visitors. Witnessing the taki or wero is an experience best described as both frightening and mesmerising. At Waitangi, you will see three warriors appear from the ranks of the host people with all the grace and alertness of the karearea (native falcon). As they pirouette, stomp and grimace, their weapons move in calculated arches of blinding motion. Eyes that never waiver try to determine whether you, the visitor, come in peace. If your intentions are friendly, then you must accept the rautapu, a leaf or carved effigy, and symbolic offering of peace. Once the challenge is completed, the warriors will guide you on to the sacred ground of the marae, while the karanga or call of the women of the tribe welcomes you. ///////// B With alertness, a warrior appears from the host people. He is followed by two others. Skilled in the world of Tumatauenga, the Maori god of was and man. C They site the visitors, then challenge their intentions. D. Slowly, with eyes fixed on the visitors, they lay down the rautapu, E. sacred leaf or carved effigy at the guest leader's feet. F To pick up the rautapu means you come in peace. Keep your eyes on the warrior who placed it. This ensures your intentions. When you nod and acknowledge that you comfortably received it, the warriors will guide you into the marae tapu. G. . aa Maori Haka Dance Theatrical performances are a celebrated part of the Maori culture in New Zealand today. Here a Maori storyteller dressed in a traditional costume performs the haka dance. The dance, which Maori men once performed before going into battle, is characterized by heavy stomping, loud chanting, and aggressive body movements. Karanga refers to the ceremonial call of welcome performed only by the women of the tribe. The start of the karanga indicates to a visitor that they are free to approach their hosts across the marae atea (sacred space directly in front of the meeting house). The call also clears a spiritual pathway for the ancestors of both visitor and host to meet and partake in the ceremonial uniqueness of the powhiri. A visitor fortunate enough to be at the Waitangi National Trust estate during a formal powhiri will hear the lamenting call of three women in unison. This custom follows that of the local tribe, Nga Puhi, and is reserved for special occasions. The spine tingling, lament like chant of the karanga soars into the heavens, often provoking tears and an emotive response from the audience. The call of the women acknowledges the ancestral spirits of the visitors before them. The women acknowledge who you are and why you have come, and invite you to stop and shed tears for those who have passed on. It is said that the depth of this call represents the bottomless source of ancestral tears, otherwise known as puna roimata.