Kawa refers to the set of protocols by which a Maori iwi (tribe) or whanau (extended family) govern themselves.
| Apirana Ngata taking the lead in a haka on Waitangi Day, 1940 |
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Each tribe throughout New Zealand practises their own variation of kawa on their home marae (tribal meeting places).
Before the powhiri (welcoming ceremony), the kawa is conveyed to the visitors so that they understand what is expected of them. Thus the kawa determines how both the hosts and visitors interact within the sacred boundaries of the marae.
At the Waitangi National Trust estate, the powhiri may commence at the whare runanga (ancestral house of learning), or at the site of the mighty waka (vessel) Ngatokimatawhaorua, which can be seen inside the korowai or waka shelter overlooking Hobson's Beach.
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WAKA (VESSELS)
In recent times there has been a revival in traditional waka design, building and navigation techniques.
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