Maori welcome ceremony

Wed Jan 12

PAINTERS: I woke up this morning to some painters banging around outside my window. They have this large scaffolding set up. It’s rather disconcerting to look out your third story window to see a scrappy Kiwi peering in saying “G’day!” I smile and wave back and silently curse the cheerful painter.

Skipped breakfast today. I’m sure I didn’t miss much.

Got my econ test back, scored above the average. This is what gets me in trouble in my classes, because now I am definitely not studying for the rest of the term. Here’s hoping.

Biology was interesting as always. There’s something about that class that just knocks us out cold though. I think it’s a combination of being right after lunch and having the lights dimmed for the projector.

MAORI: Today, we’re scheduled to go to a Maori welcome ceremony.

The Maori are the natives of the island. They are a fascinating group of people with a rich culture that has resisted the Westernization that has plagued the island. A Maori is hard to miss, they are dark-skinned Pacific Islanders, and as a whole they are big people—both tall and “big boned”. They have effectively cornered the market on bar bouncers, and with good reason. Even the most badass American wouldn’t mess with a 300+ pound Maori. But, as a whole they are quite friendly to us Americans

THE MARAE: One of their traditions is to welcome visitors to their island in a ceremony at the local Marae. The Marae is their version of a community center, comparable to a Jewish Hillel. Each local grouping of Maori has their central Marae; the one we visit is located on Victoria University’s campus. The facility is an elegant mixture of traditional Maori carvings and architecture and modern amenities like air conditioning and emergency exit signs. Here are some pictures of the Marae.

Before we go over, we’re given a primer on proper protocol and manners in the Marae. Most follow common manners – take your shoes off, don’t chew gum, sit on pillows (the butt shouldn’t go where the head goes, we’re told), pass food over people, etc. We practice our little song that we’re supposed to sing at one point in the ceremony. Here are the lyrics, for the interested/unenlightened:

Me he manu rere aue,
Kua rere ki to moenga,
Ki te awhi to tinana
Aue Aue
E—te tau tahuri mai

Roughly translated, it means “Thanks for having us over”.

The ceremony is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It’s performed entirely in Maori, so we can’t understand a bit of it. There’s a lot of chanting, singing, shaking sticks, and other weird things that go against western customs. You’re not supposed to look the Maori in the eye while they’re talking during the ceremony, which goes completely against what we’re used to as Americans. The reasoning is your spirit might get sucked out or something like that. The people performing it are transformed into their roots, completely absorbed in the rituals. We are somewhat surprised afterwards when they speak to us in perfect English explaining what they just did.

After the ceremony, we are treated to a dinner, Maori style. The preferred cooking method would be suitable for a military camp. They take hundreds of meals, pack them into a giant cage, and drop them into a heated pit. Traditionally, this pit is in the ground so the flavor of the soil seeps in a little bit, but this modern Marae uses an above-ground concrete pit. Some of us help raise it out and remove the meals for serving. We eat, and help clean up the kitchen afterwards. As a parting gesture, we belt out a version of Ramblin Wreck for their enlightenment. I'm appalled to find some of the students on the trip don't know the lyrics, and chide them for their ignorance.

That night we hang out at the dorm, play cards, drink beer, and eat pizza. Tommorrow is going to be a long day of travelling.

--P