A Slice of Marae Life
Just after seven o'clock at night I left Rotorua city, on board our bus, or this time, our imaginary waka (canoe). Along with the fellow members of my tribe, or iwi I was en route to the Tamaki Maori Village, south of Rotorua. Wally Milner, our Maori guide and 'waka' driver, took us through some of the Maori protocol for a traditional Maori marae (accommodation complex) welcome. Women learned to fall in behind the men and we had to be quiet and still during the traditional wero, or challenge, by Maori men. On arrival, we assembled behind our rangatira, or chiefs and played our part in the welcoming ceremonies.
[ More about Iwi and Tribes ]
Later inside the whare nui, or ancestral house, we were entertained by cultural group Te Rangi Atea, with a collection of songs and displays of Maori musical instruments, weapons and activities.We then sat down to a huge hangi meal in the whare kai, or dining hall.
Cooked the traditional Maori way on hot stones in an authentic earthen oven, the food was delicious. After dinner, the bus drivers or guides turned on the entertainment. Jokes rolled down like the rain outside, with a string of popular songs sung to guitars.
I'd had a great day, had been touched by some really heart-warming hospitality, and had learned a lot about the day to day living of both pre-European and modern day Maori. But it was time to go home, and we boarded our bus, or waka, for the great migration back to Rotorua.
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FAST FACT:
Census figures for 1996 show a total of just over 66,000 Te Arawa people living in New Zealand |
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