The Maori people are the aborigines of New Zealand, which they refer to as Aotearoa (meaning land of the long white cloud.) They are not technically speaking “native”, as they originally immigrated from Polynesia, however the immigrants that moved here created a distinct culture that lived here for a long time before the british colonizers arrived, so they are considered essentially, to be the native people. The exact date of their arrival is still debated by historians but is thought to be somewhere around 900-1100 A.D. There was another group of people who also inhabited Aotearoa around the same time, called the Moriori, who lived exclusively on the Chatham Islands, although there’s not many people of Moriori descent left. But that’s a long and sad story I’ll discuss on another day, because right now I want to discuss the very special day I’ve just had!
Monday the 6th was Waitangi day, a national holiday celebrating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi which was an agreement between the Maori and the settlers (the Maori refer to the settlers as the pakeha). I attended a powhiri (welcoming ceremony) at the local marae (a sacred gathering place for the Maori people). As you can probably tell, I’m learning lots of new terms that are important to the Maori people.
The treaty, in a nutshell, founded the government of Aotearoa/NZ as a society binding the two cultures together. However, there were many language barriers at the time the treaty was signed and many misunderstandings took place. There were actually two documents involved, an english version of the treaty as well as a treaty written in Maori language. Many differences were found in the language of the two articles, but the main discrepancy is that the Maori people thought they would still be able to own their lands and manage them as they pleased, only giving away the government over the land. Most Maori chiefs that signed the documents assumed it was a pretty good deal for them, they would get to maintain their rights to property and also gain the citizenship benefits that British government offered. However, the english writing is a little bit different as it states that Britain has ‘sovereignty’ over the country, which is a slightly varied meaning, them supreme authority rather than just a shared government. It still states that the Maori people have rights to their land and resources, but it also says that the government can purchase land that they wish to buy from the Maori. This maybe would have been an okay law, except for the fact that when the Maori people didn’t want to sell their land, the British Crown appointed different officials who ‘represented’ the land that the Maori owned and could then sell it to colonizers without the Maori’s permission, unless the Maori people could pay rent, which of course, they didn’t have any form of money that the British would accept.
It’s understandable why their were so many discrepencies. A Maori woman explained to me this afternoon that they really didn’t have words for ‘government’, ‘own’, ‘buy’, or ‘sell’, before the British arrived. The Maori culture instead adapted the philosophy of sharing all of the land and resources between everyone, with certain groups of people responsible for looking after specific areas, mountains, and rivers, to ensure that the environment was protected everywhere. I can imagine how difficult it might have been for them to grasp the concepts of ownership of natural features given that they lived without this idea so peacefully and so well for years. The fact that they didn’t even have Maori words for the things the British were trying to write agreements about is crazy, there’s no way they could’ve fully come to understand what the treaty meant when they barely had any comprehension of what owning land really entitled.
The treaty is still widely debated today and many Maori people have bitter feelings about the holiday and the treaty. As one member of the Maori community said to me today, their history with the British Crown can be described as “some good, some bad, and some ugly” implying that there has been more bad blood shed than benefits as a result of Waitangi day. They still feel that they deserve more say in the government and should have access to more land, resources, and social equity. Despite all of the underlying racial issues that are present in society here, the Maori people are friendly, optimistic, and hopeful, and an event like the one I attended today occur all across the country on Waitangi day as a way of looking positively towards the future and honoring the working relationship they have with other cultures that occupy Aotearoa/NZ.
The marae I visited is called the Te Āwhina Marae o Motueka. While there are tons of different iwis (iwi is the Maori word for tribe), that travelled around and occupied different areas at different times, the two major iwis that live in the Motueka area are Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa. The people associated with this marae are primarily descendants from these iwis, and the symbol of this marae depicts an image of two important ancestors, one from each iwi.
It’s disrespectful to take photos of the marae as a tourist so I wasn’t able to capture any images from my time there. However I did ask one member on the board of trustees if I could use photos from their website on my blog (I explained my project for the SOS) and they said that would be fine, so here’s a photo of what it looks like.
When I arrived for the celebration, I was directed to walk around the back of the property to wait for the official welcoming process, where all attendees who have not previously been to the marae are invited properly. There was a big group of us all awaiting our first experience, lots of us travelers. Newcomers to the marae are all referred to as tapu before they enter. The Maori man who was leading the invitation explained some aspects of the upcoming powhiri. First, all of us were given a few minutes to introduce ourselves to those around us who we didn’t know, to have a better idea of the community gathering today. The welcomer then let us know that maraes across the country have differing procedures for powhiris, and that this is just their way of doing it, so some things may change if attending a different iwi’s powhiri. Then, we arranged ourselves in the traditional assembly format, women at the front of the group with men surrounding the edges and piling up in the back. The reasoning behind this is that the women of the iwi represent wisdom and knowledge, as well as the gift of life, and it is the mens responsibility to protect these aspects. Staying in this formation, we entered through the sacred gate at the front of the marae and stepped on to the big concrete slab that covered the opening courtyard. We paused here for a moment of silence, which is done as a time to remember all of our loved ones who have passed on. The marae is where all traditional Maori funerals take place, hence the need for giving respect and honoring these people when you step onto the property. The silence was broken by a call (karanga) from a selected female caller (kaikaranga). The karanga is an essential part of the powhiri ceremony as it acts as a link between the living world and the spiritual world. It’s important that the first words that are spoken in the marae when a group enters is the karanga call, because it ‘pulls’ the visitors into the sacred, spiritual space of the marae. Every karanga is different, and it is up to the kaikaranga to create a call that contains a message from the heart that is relevant to the occasion. In this case, the karanga was about joining the living and deceased spirits onto the property, proposing that we all unite together. It welcomes people of all walks of life, which they call people from the four winds. I did feel a wave of enlightenment as this call pierced the air, a kind of uplifted soul sensation, similar to the feeling of finally meeting with a friend you haven’t seen for awhile or achieving something difficult by working together with a group of people. There was a strong community connection that almost immediately and wondrously fell upon us. The karanga was responded to by a male kaikaranga who had his own call, and then we all removed our shoes and entered the main meeting house, called the wharenui.
We filed inside and began by hearing the stories and speeches (called whaikōrero) that the active members in the Maori community had to tell. I didn’t understand any of the beginning ones because none were told in English, but it was still beautiful to hear and participate in. After awhile, though, they switched to english and had a few speakers talk. One of the main speakers was Barney, and I really loved everything he said. He talked a lot about how important it is that members outside of their community are engaged in their culture on Waitangi day, and emphasized that it’s one of the best days of the year for them because they get to educate new people about their lifestyles and traditional practices. He even talked a little bit about Donald Trump, which I thought was pretty interesting. He gave his condolences to the Americans present in the room and acknowledged that at the moment, we’re going through more intensive racial tension than they are facing, and he said he wanted everyone from the USA to know that the hearts of the Maori people are with us. Another speaker, named Monty, discussed the modern reasons for keeping maraes active. The primary reason is to pass down the traditions onto Maori children so they can be apart of their ancestors practices. The second reason is for days like this, when they are given the opportunity to educate the public about their history. And the third main reason is that when the colonizers first arrived, Maori chiefs agreed that they would always help protect and look after the land and people that they knew much better than anyone else, and they are still striving today to teach citizens to work with the earth in the natural lifestyles they have led since before settlement.
Two speakers were non-Maori, they were members of the parliament who advocate for equity and help communicate between Maori representatives in the disputing of the treaty. They come to the powhiri every year and are actively involved in most events that occur at the marae. I was really moved by their speech, as they discussed the necessity for the non-Maori people of Aotearoa/NZ to be connected to the culture practiced here and work to strengthen the voice of those Maori who still feel unheard by the government. Between each speaker was a song (called waiata), where everyone present who spoke Maori got up to sing a traditional chant, there are many songs that are widely used but in this case they sang the Maori national anthem because it is known by lots of people. I found a translation of the lyrics online, and they go as follows:
“O Lord, God of nations and of us too
Listen to us, cherish us
Let goodness flourish, may your blessings flow.
Defend Aotearoa.”
These lyrics are clearly very powerful to them, I even witnessed one singer shed a tear as she blessed the air with her melodic voice. It was unbelievably exhilirating to observe all of the heartfelt emotion that filled the room as the ceremony progressed.
After everyone that wanted to talk was finished, it was time for the hongi, which is when all of the Maori community members stand in a line across the front of the room, and then all those who have been welcomed meet each one for a handshake accompanied by the pressing together of noses. They spent much time discussing the importance of this procudure as it is a chance for us to look into each others souls, to feel the pain and joy of everyone present at the powhiri, and to give support to all as we continue on our journeys through our time on earth. As I made my way down the line, I was greeted by the friendliest smiles, the kindest eyes, and the warmest hands and noses. The love that was present overflowed from me, and I can still feel that loving feeling even now when I remember it.
We had a small break to eat watermelon slices and sit outside talking with one another before gathering again for question time, where we were all invited to inquire about anything we wanted relating to Maori history, current affairs, and the property itself. One of the most intriguing questions was about the story behind the different carvings in the wharenui. There were 16 human-like wooden statues that are called pou by the Maori. Each one represented important ancestors, some were holding weapons or wearing greenstone jewlery, some had very detailed patterns and others were more simple, and all of them had carved out rings made of paua shells for eyes. Wearing the paua shell is said to strengthen the heart and body, and it represents the beauty of life which is primarily observed through the eyes, hence the use on the pou. It would take way too much time to write about all of them but I was impressed by the ability of the Maori speakers to remember every little detail about the history behind each one. Most were either captains of canoes that travelled here from Polynesia, chiefs of iwi, or warriors. If you’re interested in hearing the tales behind them, send me a message and I’d be happy to talk with you about them! Another compelling answer was in response to a question asked about the location of the marae. This marae was established here because the modern town of Motueka was once a huge hub for the Maori, as the land here is rich given the huge estuary provided both fresh and saltwater food sources, and it’s surrounded by hills which means the valley soil here is very fertile. This place is also particularly special to them because it is a common landing spot for the kotuku bird (commonly known by english speakers as the white heron/great egret). They are not very common in Aotearoa/NZ, and have long been admired by the Maori for their long white feathers, graceful movements, and extreme beauty. Their known landing places are far and few, so Motueka was thought to be a sort of paradise because the birds knew this place would always be bountiful. The kotuku bird is involved in several folktales, and is thought to be a gift from the land of spirits. Maori chiefs even traditionally wore the feathers on their headpieces. The building of the marae at this spot near the river was primarily to keep an eye on the kotuku, because it is said that when the bird no longer returns, we will face great doom as it means the environment is too far out of balance. The Maori are extremely concerned because year after year they are seeing less of them. Because of their emphasis on their protection, the Department of Conservation actively monitors their populations and has established a reserve for their habitat.
After two hours, everyone had the chance to ask the questions they were curious about. So, finally, we had a feast! They had built a hangi, which is a traditional earth oven. After settlement, the Maori stopped using hangis except for special occasions and used pots like the British. Essentially, the hangi is a giant pit filled with stones, and they light a fire to make the stones very hot, then they layer on bark from the manuka tree, followed by the food, which was usually inside greenstone-ware, or baskets woven from cabbage tree leaves, however our meals were individually wrapped in tinfoil. The pit is then covered back up with soil and left to cook with the earth to cook for several hours. Our meals contained a couple foods that were common when the hangi was used, including puha leaves and the kumara potato. The maori used to cook these vegetables with meat from the moa bird lying underneath, however the moa is now extinct so we had chicken. The food was cooked to perfection, infused with a smoky, woody flavor and including hints of mustiness. The chicken was so tender and juicy that it fell right off the bone and the potato was almost pumpkin-like. It was the perfect way to end the day, sharing food with a community I now feel apart of.
As I said goodbye to the marae members, they hugged me and told me to feel welcome to come back for future events because this marae was just as much mine as it is theirs now that I’ve been welcomed on and heard their stories. I still haven’t stopped smiling since I left! It truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I feel blessed to have experienced. It reminded me that there is still so much hope in the world, and that humanity does contain people who deeply value our planets resources and equality between all inhabitants. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to return to the marae or not, as the public is only invited on every once in awhile. I’ll always hold a special spot in my heart for my experience here, though, and whenever I’m feeling down about the troubles of society I will remember the Maori’s outlook on life and the influential energy I felt in their company.
Bibliography:
While all of the information presented here comes directly from speaking with members of the marae, I did need reference material for song lyrics, spellings, and dates.
“C. Waiata – Songs.” Maori Ki Otago – Maori at Otago. University of Otago, 2010. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.
Keane, Basil. “‘Marae Protocol – Te Kawa O Te Marae – Pōwhiri Process’.” Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. N.p., 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.
Te Āwhina Marae O Motueka. Te Āwhina Marae, 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.
“Treaty of Waitangi.” NZHistory, New Zealand History Online. Crown Copyright, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.
