Pōwhiri

A Pōwhiri (called a pōhiri in eastern dialects, and pronounced pōwiri in the Taranaki-Wanganui area of the western North Island) is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and hongi. It can be performed both to welcome guests onto a marae or during other ceremonies, such as during a dedication of a building (where the performers might welcome the owners or future users of the building). A pōwhiri is not performed for every group of manuhiri (visitors). It is often reserved for special visitors or for tupapaku (the arrival of the body of the deceased) for a tangihanga (funeral). However, powhiri are also often performed for tourist groups as part of special events.

For most observers, the "Taki" or "Wero", an aggressive challenge of the visitor at the beginning of the ceremony, is the most spectacular part of the powhiri. During this part of the ceremony, three Māori warriors will advance cautiously towards the guests with ceremonial weapons, and perform threatening gestures and grimaces, calling out battle screams, and generally giving an impression of being ready to explode into violence against the visitors at any moment. Historically, this has roots in both showing off the martial prowess of the iwi's warriors, as well as testing the steadfastness of the visitors. By accepting the "rautapu", a leaf or carved effigy, that the lead warrior will place on the ground before the visitors as a symbolic offering of peace, this part of the ceremony is concluded. [ [http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/features/powhiri/the-ceremony/taki-challenge.cfm Taki - Challenge] (from the official website of Tourism New Zealand. Retrieved 2007-11-01.)]

On some occasions the pōwhiri begins before the karanga (the call), at other times it begins after the karanga has started. At some point the karanga and the pōwhiri will be taking place at the same time. For the pōwhiri, the kai karanga (female caller) usually stands to the side and slightly to the front of the remainder of the tangata whenua (hosts). Those who take part in the pōwhiri include elders and young people (men/women). After the manuhiri (guests) and tangata whenua are seated both sides will have speakers, beginning with the tangata whenua. The ceremonial tapu (sacred) is lifted when tangata whenua and manuhiri make physical contact (hariru, hongi etc.)

References

External links

* [http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/powhiri/powhiri-introduction.cfm Powhiri New Zealand's Welcoming Spirit] (from the official website of Tourism New Zealand. Retrieved 2007-11-01.)