Today-Powhiri-The formal Maori welcome ceremony

Today was a special day for me at the New Staff Day with Mid-Central Health District Board.  Fifteen of us spent the day learning about the District Health Board that governs the health of all of the people who live in this Mid-Central District of the North Island, covering the needs of _________people.  We learned about the geographic division of the country, and the responsibilities that this Health Board has to the people that live here.  If a resident of Manawatu is traveling to Auckland and needs to see a doctor, the Mid-Central Health District Board will cover the cost!  Wow.

We were welcomed in a "powhiri", pronounced poe-far-aye, which is a welcome ceremony which is performed only in Maori and has strict protocol.  The powhiri is often the first step in developing a relationship with Maori.  First, we were given the instructions and the coaching of the response song that we will call to the other side.  This was new to almost all of us, and it felt very sacred and spiritual to be a part of this.  We were called in and serenaded with a beautiful song, and received into the large hall.  A Te Karanga was a the call onto the room, and the whaikorero-men's speech was structured and showed acknowledgements of their tipuna, and the spirits of the dead.  This felt a bit familiar and like a Tlingit greeting or start of a formal speech, with the mention of the line of ancestry.  We responded with our male representative returning the thanks and welcome, and then with more enthusiasm than talent, we hanuhiri (visitors) women warbled our way through the unfamiliar words, but it was deeply touching.

The final step in the welcome ceremony was the hongi, a tradition symbolizing trust and friendship.  Each guest and host took a turn standing with foreheads touching, and silently breathing in one another's "essence" .  To come so close to strangers and share one's breath was an experience that wasn't too familiar to me or the other American-from California, yet it created a bond and connection with our hosts.  A shared tea and stories followed with our hosts, and it gave a great perspective for us to start our day, and for me to start my practicum.

Hongi is a traditional Maori greeting, which literally means “to share breath”. Hongi is done by pressing one’s nose to the other person when they meet each other. It is believed that when the two noses meet, people exchange their breath and the visitor becomes one of the local people (tangata whenua).