What Is A Powhiri?

What Is A Powhiri?

WALT: Explain what a Powhiri is.

Success Criteria:

-Use correct grammar.

-Use relevant information.

-Use true facts.

-Use expensive words.

A Powhiri is done mainly to introduce new people, celebrate somebody's twenty first or welcoming a dead body into a marae. (Marae is basically a big house with maori patterns all over the walls, multiple people sleep in the same room.) But you may ask “Why do people do Powhiris?”. Well depending on what tribe your in, most people perform Powhiris to introduce new people, as well as making them feel like they belong at their new home or workplace.

Most tribes or maoris only perform Powhiris if there are a substantial amount of people at the gathering or meeting. If there aren’t too many people in the meeting/gathering then the only thing that follows the entrances is a prayer, then they just get along with what the main part of the gathering/meeting. But some maoris and maraes do their Powhiris different. Most maraes do follow the tradition of inviting people into the building. If they have not been called in, they are not welcoming to walk on the grounds of the marae. But as well as that, there are also different maraes and tribes that don’t necessarily make it compulsory for the powhiri to be called.  

When a Powhiri is performed it is usual filled with lots of noise. A boy/man will run to the front and wave their stick around, then run back to the front to do the entrance song. When the new recruit or body is inside the building, it is followed by someone starting a speech, usually done in maori and then a maori song is sung just to finish that part of the Powhiri. After the song is done usually the cultural dances are done sometimes followed by the haka. All of the dances are usually done by the Kapa Haka Group, including the Songs/Singing. (Kapa Haka is the maori- cultural group.)

At the end of every powhiri, to show your respect you usually go up to the Kaumatua/Old man and Hongi him if you are a man as that is more respectful, but if you're a lady, a kiss on the check is more wanted.

Powhiris are a great way to make people feel welcome as well as making them look like they belong in the new environment that they have come into.