- Beautiful. Kia ora. - Hey! Kia ora! It's me. Tam` Tamati Rimene` Oh, it's all good. Hey, I'm glad you fullas are here. There's a hui down on at the marae. You fullas have never been to a marae? Oh, all good. I got you. (CELL PHONE CHIMES) Ooh. Yeah, nah, that's one of the aunties. Better get going ` hoake tatou. Come on. Follow me. (VIBRANT THEME MUSIC) Captions by Jordan Waetford Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 Maori culture is unique to Aotearoa, so before heading on to a marae, let's see how much the general public know about it. Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Tena koe. - Good. (BOTH GIGGLE) - Have you ever been to a marae? - I've been into a marae one time up in Waitangi Treaty Grounds. - I went to the Turangawaewae Marae, and that was really awesome. - It feels like a home. - Knowing how to behave was a little bit daunting and scary. Being, like, Pakeha, I didn't want to, like, misstep. And I wanted to make sure I was really honouring Maori culture. - Fear of misstepping was a common theme amongst the people I spoke to, which is exactly what this show is about ` providing you with the necessary info so that your next marae visit will be an enjoyable experience, and not a scary one. Let's begin by listening to our resident experts on things Maori, Chris Winitana and Te Haumihiata Mason. - If you're visiting the marae for the first time, it can be very fearful. Because it's unknown to you. Appreciate and see the vision that what you're about to go through, a beautiful ceremony, is to keep you safe. Absolutely safe in body, in spirit, and heart, and in mind. - If you're new to a marae, you certainly won't be there on your own. You will be going with a group. So the best advice I can give you is follow those who look like they know. Fit in. I mean, I still fit in. You know, when I'm going to a marae where I may have been there before, I may not have been there before, but you sort of know, just fit in. Follow the` the ones who look like they know what they're doing. (CHUCKLES) - The beautiful thing with a marae is that it's a` it is ` it's a place where we hold events, mo te hunga ora me te hunga mate. But in terms of, you know, weddings and birthdays, all of those beautiful occasions happen there. A lot of times you go to weddings on the marae and, you know, Uncle might get up and do a mihi, and all of a sudden he's telling you about his whakapapa and about his life story when he's not even the one getting married. But these are just some of the places and the things that happen on the marae, because they're allowed to, and it's your place to call home. - There are hundreds of marae throughout the country that are maintained and cared for by the hau kainga. Typically, a marae will have a wharenui ` or meeting house, a whare kai ` or dining hall and kitchen, a marae atea ` or courtyard in front of the wharenui, and a waharoa ` or entrance. Marae are sacred places, meaning you can't just waltz on to a marae. You need to be welcomed on with a ceremony known as a pohiri. And, by the way, pohiri and powhiri are the same word, just pronounced differently depending on where you're from. - I think the important thing about a pohiri is you can't actually enter on to the marae atea without being welcomed on. So the korero is you be pohiri'd on to the marae. - What do you remember about the powhiri? - Um, I remember karanga. And more of the powhiri as a welcoming ceremony. - We met out on the street as a group, and then we were welcomed on to the marae. And it was, yeah, no, I enjoyed it. - I felt really blessed to be welcomed on to that space. - A pohiri is a formal process of welcoming manuhiri or waewae tapu ` people who are not from that marae or who haven't been to that marae. It's a way in connecting them and joining the wairua of the tupuna into the one place. Of course, that is through karanga. That is through whaikorero. That is through the hariru, the hongi. And most importantly, that is through the kai. - Ooh. Good spot. So pohiri happen every day here in Aotearoa, and in all sorts of ways. And, yeah, it's a welcome, but so much more than that. Take the karanga for example. Yeah, the aunties are saying, 'Haere mai, haere mai ` come on in,' but they're also connecting us to each other, connecting us to te ao wairua, setting the tone for the hui, and so much more. And that's why not everyone can perform the karanga. Hey, I'm a man ` a moustached men at that. I'll leave that korero to the wahine. I know ` it's a lot to take in. You've probably got a lot of questions. - Oi, I got a question. Where's your pants and what are those on your feet? - Kia ora, Auntie. Yeah. I was just` I was just getting to that. So what is appropriate attire for a pohiri? Well, that depends on the occasion, like tangihanga. Many Maori wear formal black attire, just like many of us would at a non-Maori funeral. For everything else, the general rule is do your best to look neat and tidy so you don't get a growling from the aunties, which means definitely no stubbies and gumboots. Ka pai. We'd better make our way to the waharoa as the pohiri is about to begin. Anei, Uncs. Taku koha. Remember back in the waka when I put some cash in an envelope? This is koha, which we'll discuss in more detail shortly, but you should never turn up empty-handed. - Koha is really important going on to any marae for any hui, regardless. And it's what you have, all you have in your pocket. But, really, for any kaupapa, I think it shouldn't be less than $60. (CASH TILL CHIMES) That's just me. - Make sure you bring some cash. I'm not like my sister and have a dollar amount that you should bring. I think $60 is pretty high for one person... but you don't want to be that fulla that people look` you grab the envelope and you're just rustling around then you just hand it back on, cos people know that if you don't put a koha in that's not very good. You don't want to be embarrassed, eh? - Wahine ma, haere mai ki mua. - Our pohiri's about to start. First thing you're gonna hear is the voice of our wahine. Our kaikaranga. - Haere mai nga manuhiri tuarangi e. Haere mai. Haere mai. Haere mai. - I feel like lots of people sometimes think... it's the males running the show in the pohiri. And some of you may agree. I do not. The first voice you hear, it's the wahine. She calls you on, you know, and she could tell you to turn around and go away. - I believe a karanga should only be performed by a wahine, purely because of her biological makeup. Women are the givers of life. So we have that hononga to te wahi ngaro where the mauri of that child is kua whakato ki roto i te wahine. It's a beautiful privilege to have. - So when you hear karanga, and you don't just hear it, but you feel it, and you get goosebumps, that's because that frequency that only a woman can find is helping you transcend worlds. And I realised that when I had children. (CHUCKLES) And in that birthing process, I thought, 'Oh, these are the sounds. 'These are the frequencies that help us navigate the biggest feelings, 'the most beautiful life experiences.' And they're healing just by their sound. - And even a lot of non-Maori speakers who experience the karanga, who hear it, feel the vibration of it, feel the spirituality of it. And even though they don't actually understand the words that are being spoken, they come up to me afterwards and go, 'Man, I just felt something there. 'Something` I shifted. I had a spiritual shift there with that karanga.' And that's the power of it. - Coming up after the break ` we dig deeper into the world of karanga and whaikorero. # Summer in the morning light, # everything's feeling right. # The waves in the distance calling me home again. # Back to the maunga, # down to the moana ` # you and me, takahia atu te whenua, # singing, 'Pick me up on the baseline.' We see you moving with the times, Aotearoa, - OK, whanau. Here we are. I've changed my gumboots, the pohiri has begun, and the first call has gone out. Nervous? Don't worry. I got you. Not only is the kaikaranga calling to us, they're also calling to our loved ones who accompany us in spirit. - If the kaikaranga has done their research, they'll acknowledge something specifically about that ope, where they have come from or mention their maunga or their waka. - Something I observed when, you know, certainly growing up in Ruatoki, is there was always a little bit of chatter in the background. 'Who's that at the gate?' So if it was whanau, they would know. And they'd know if they were coming home from overseas, they were coming home from Auckland. So all that was important information before that karanga was called. - Te rangi e tu nei. - Te papa e hora nei. - In response to the first karanga, a wahine from our side replies, thus engaging in a dialogue of sorts. - Karanga has its own way of setting the kaupapa. So sometimes I think people just think we're saying the same things over and over. Haramai, haramai. And it's not that. And if you miss that, then you're missing a lot. - A karanga is like a nice little summary of who the ope are. Here we are. These people, this group, who've all come together. Welcome us on, welcome us on. So that we may cry. And so that we may laugh. And so that we may eat and just enjoy each other's company. There's that wahanga in a karanga where they acknowledge all of those who have come before us, and that's when you'll see the manuhiri stop and just really sit in that moment while that kaikaranga acknowledges all of their loved ones and all of, I guess, the loved ones of the hau kainga who have passed on. - Nowadays karanga is taught from a young age at schools and tertiary institutions, but traditionally was acquired through observation on the marae. - Mihi mai ra. - I never experienced being taught to karanga. I think there are times when you do karanga where it just really comes from... from the heart, you know, from the soul, especially at tangihanga. You know, when someone's mourning the loss of somebody and some of what they say is just beautiful. Just beautiful. - Well, in my whanau, it's usually always the female who is maybe the matriarch of the whanau. So I wouldn't karanga, say, before my mum or my nan. That's how it's decided in our whanau. I'm not sure if that's the same for every other whanau. - In my whanau, I know times have changed. Me whati te tikanga kia ora ai te tikanga. Because my mum doesn't speak Maori and my grandmother doesn't speak Maori, more often than not, it falls on the person who has the ability and the knowledge to undertake a karanga, to deliver a karanga. - So, when people have asked me to do the karanga, ka kite koe i te kaha waihanga o nga takunga i era wa. - I remember at a young age, I used to be scared. I absolutely hated it. I was horrified, because I thought people were judging how good of a singer I was. If I could hold a note for very long. But the older you get, you realise that it is an absolute honour to be asked to deliver a karanga. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - Kia ora. This ` this is whaikorero. Traditional Maori oratory. Doesn't matter where you are in the country, hau kainga, they always start. Who goes next is all dependent on kawa. The kawa of this marae is tauutuutu, which means they stand, we stand. They stand, we stand, and so forth. But it always ends on that side. The other kawa is paeke. Paeke means they get up, clear their bench. Comes to us, we clear our bench. But again, it always goes back to that side. Whaikorero always in waiata. The waiata supports and embellishes what the kaikorero has just said. So we better listen. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - To become a speaker takes years of dedicated training. The best speakers can be found at important events like this one ` the commemoration of Kingi Tuheitia's coronation at Turangawaewae Marae. These hui provide a platform for orators such as Paraone Gloyne to perfect their skills. - What is whaikorero? Whaikorero is the traditional practise or custom of formal speech delivery in te reo, usually on the marae, delivered by tane ` males, in representation of their hapu ` their subtribe, their iwi ` their tribe, and their whanau. They give voice to their whare ` their ancestral house, te whenua ` the land, nga maunga ` the mountains, the awa ` the rivers, and their ancestors that have passed on. They represent their people. They are the face and the voice for their iwi. And they address any take ` reasons or themes of discussion on the marae in that formal speech-making process. - Whaikorero is a space to weave together people, history, whakapapa through words, through tauparapara, through kiwaha, through whakatauki. My job as a whaikorero-er is to try and find as many things that I can say that will weave together the manuhiri and the tangata whenua. - If you're going to a marae and you're an actual speaker, people know that you can speak Maori, be prepared, because they'll probably shoulder tap you. - It's a pretty egotistical sort of scene, yeah, whaikorero. And, ah` you get a lot of good-quality speakers, and then you get a lot of people who just ramble. And you're just sitting there going, 'Oh my God. 'That guy there just said exactly the same thing. 'Why did you stand up to repeat exactly what that person said?' - There's nothing more embarrassing than going as a speaker and not knowing who the person is if it's a funeral. Or not knowing the name of the marae. All of those things, eh? You need to be prepared. Maori Maps. Maori Maps. If you go on to Maori Maps, it has the name of the marae, the hapu, the iwi, the maunga, the awa. It's an amazing place if you need a quick research if you're going on to marae. Maori Maps. - Now every whaikorero, or formal speech, is different. But there are some sayings, some phrases that you will hear in whaikorero, no matter where you go i roto i a Aotearoa ` within New Zealand, that you will hear. Tihei mauri ora! Which basically means, 'Oh! It is the sneeze of life.' Now you're thinking, 'Why are we talking about a sneeze?' Tihei mauri ora recognises our origins, so it goes back to Tane, the first man, and Hineahuone, the first woman. (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) Tihei mauri ora! Another common phrase you hear in whaikorero is the phrase where we acknowledge those that have passed on. E huri ana nga mihi ki o tatou huhua mate. Nga mate i runga i a koutou. Nga mate i runga i a matou. Tenei ka tangi. E nga mate, haere, haere, haere atu ra. My esteemed guests, it is now we pay tribute to those we love and have departed from this world. We send them on their way. And may they go. Farewell. Farewell. Farewell. - Paraone may be saying goodbye, but don't you go anywhere, because coming up, we navigate the tricky business of the hariru, and you won't want to miss that. - Tena koe. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - Ever been to a pohiri and felt a little bit lost? All good. That's why I'm here. To clear things up. So to bring you up to speed, we've had the karanga, the call from the wahine, and now it's the tane's turn to elaborate on the kaupapa with the whaikorero. - Tena koutou, tena tatou katoa. (ALL SING WAIATA) Once the kaikorero has completed his speech, the rest of his ope will join him with a waiata tautoko. - No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa. - Kia ora, Matua. So that signifies that side's finished. Comes to us now. When our kaikorero finishes, and we finish our waiata, he'll put down the koha. Remember that little envelope I gave him earlier? That signifies everything will be over. The formalities are done. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - The whaikorero process may seem like just another formality, but it's often the place of much controversy and drama. - Another name for te marae atea, or the courtyard of the marae, is te marae areare a Tumatauenga. It's like the open courtyard of Tumatauenga. And Tumatauenga to Maori is the God or deity of war. And the marae is called that. In a lot of instances, traditionally, it would come to war in the whaikorero. - On the marae is out and free and open. All is possible. And males too can be very abrasive. So let them be. That's why the marae is there. That abrasion that's seen as abrasion is no more than the abrasion that you hear in Parliament. - It can all change in the blink of an eye. When someone stands up and says something that's really... straight to the heart or really controversial, the whole dynamic can change. It can be quite cordial at the start, but all of a sudden, it explodes into a really high-level debate and it's all very dramatic. And Maori people love it cos they go, 'Look at this drama. 'This is awesome. Look at what's going on.' There's a big, you know, there's conflict going on. Who doesn't want to be sitting there watching that going, 'Whoa, it's to and fro.' And, 'This is great.' - I like it when people are challenged in kaikorero. I find it very interesting, especially when they stand up and they're like, (GRUMBLES) 'da-da-da,' and then they, like, whip out a wero to someone. I love that. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - Tangihanga, or funerals, on the marae are uniquely Maori events where drama is almost inevitable. - You know, there can be a real battle on that marae. A real battle over the tupapaku, about the tupapaku. How the tupapaku died. Certainly when I was younger, nothing was hidden. You said what you wanted to say. If you wanted to call the tupapaku a taurekareka for something they'd done, Well, then, that's what you did. How you felt and your emotions weren't hidden. - I think one of the important things of tangihanga is the safety that everybody feels during a tangihanga to let your emotions go. And it's an important process within tikanga Maori, is to grieve for your loved ones. - Maori are very comfortable with death, you know. Maori, for them, grief is a process, you know, that needs to be shared. And I think that's one thing about our people that I love. That we are there to share each other's grief, to share each other's joy. - I can always remember when a man said to me after a karakia that Scotty did to lift a very, very sad, awful, tragic situation. And he still had tears in his eyes. He said, 'We have nothing to do that. 'There is nothing in my Anglo-Saxon world and upbringing 'that does what just happened then, because I don't even know how to express it, 'but I know that it's right. I know that I feel better. 'I know that there is something that is magical 'and healing in what just happened.' And that, once you experience it, you know that you've been privileged to be part of ancient brilliance that knew at every level, spiritually, intellectually, physically, what we need as humans. - See, this is when I'd be sitting in the whaikorero line, and she's just got up and done her speech and sat back down, and I go, 'I got nothing to add to that.' (BOTH LAUGH) - In this pohiri, each side only has one speaker, but there are often multiple speakers depending on the size of the hui. (ALL SING WAIATA) - Now that our speaker has finished, it is our turn to sing our waiata tautoko, or supporting song. This traditional waiata is called a moteatea. These chants are used to tell stories and recall important events in our past. Singing a waiata tautoko isn't optional, so it's a good idea to know what waiata you'll be singing and to practise in advance. - The go-to waiata tautoko ` # E toru puawai # o taku putiputi. # Aroha, tumanako. # - We were always taught to think about your kaikorero and where that kaikorero is from and cater your waiata` select a waiata that is one of the top five hits within that iwi. - The wahine kinda complete that process of pohiri, that once the tane's finished speaking, it's up to the wahine to do a waiata. Sometimes the kaikorero will do his own waiata, which is just the best. You are a one-man self-contained unit, Matua. I love those matuas. If any single matuas like that are looking for a wahine... # anei ahau. # Cos I don't want to do your karanga or your waiata. - # Te tino puawai. # Ae. Kia ora. - (PERFORMS WHAIKORERO) - After all the speeches are done, the final speaker presents the koha. - The koha is received with a brief acknowledgement from the host. Here, it's done by both spoken word and karanga. Koha has always been a part of the process, but not always in this way. - Koha was go and get what you've got in the garden and take it to the marae. So-and-so has died, go and kill a pig. And that was taken to the marae. So that was, in essence, that was koha. But of course, we live in fast-paced times now, and we don't have time to grow a few cabbages to take to the marae. So Koha now is to, whatever you can, give. Certainly in my whanau, those who earn more, give more. It doesn't matter whether you put $5 in or $200 in, just put something in. Don't not put nothing in. I think that's rude. - Koha doesn't have to be the one thing. It isn't just finance. I have experienced koha in the form of face masks to support, of course, COVID, and they were customised Korero Maori Mai face masks as well. So very relevant to our reo hui that we had going on. - Haramai te hariru. - Hariru actually comes from the English saying, 'How do you do?' The hongi, though, that belongs to us? That goes back to Hineahuone, the first person ever created. Kia ora, Matua. - Tena koe. - Tena koe. - Tena koe. - So here are Tamati's top tips for not touching lips. Tip nama tahi ` tane ki te tane ` man to man, always hongi, but take it easy. Gently touch noses. Last thing you want to do is knock out, Uncle. Eh, Uncle? Tip number two ` always brush your teeth. Eh, Auntie? - Kia ora. - Kia ora. Kia ora to that. Colgate, ne? - Ae. - Tip number three ` if you're unsure, let them guide you. No? OK. Tena koe, Auntie. And tip number` oh, Auntie! How's your boy? - Hopeless. - Yeah? Still playing footy? - Yeah, for Queensland. - Oh, ka aro` ooh. Oh, yeah, sorry. Sorry. Final tip ` keep it moving, whanau. Always time for a catch up in the tea room. - Hariru, I must say, can be awkward for a lot of people. You know, are you going in for the hongi, or you going in for the kiss, or do you do the hongi-kiss? See, now, the hongi-kiss, you don't want to do that. - Everyone who's gone to pohiri, you definitely have a hariru story. Everyone. You're not sure whether... sometimes you're not sure if Auntie's an auntie or an uncle. You're not sure if she wants a hongi or a kihi, you know? You're just not sure. - I think for my situation, I sit in the question mark category, so people are constantly wondering how to... hariru me. With the kaikorero, I will grab the hand, close my eyes and scrunch my nose and go straight in for the hongi, just so they don't, like, question whether or not I should kiss or hug or anything. Just go in for it. My kind of strategy for the aunties is just to go straight in with the mmm. They think it's fabulous. You're just like mwah, mwah. The double kiss if you feel fancy. - So to recap ` man to man, always hongi, never kiss. Man to woman, a hongi and/or a kiss on the cheek is all good. Woman to woman, a hongi and/or a kiss on the cheek is also fine. And finally, in the case of a global pandemic, there's always the good old tukemata high five. Coming up after the break ` that's right, whanau, you've earned it. The best part of any pohiri ` the kai. - So, we've been called on with karanga, and our speakers have set the platform for our hui through whaikorero. Once the hariru is complete, the final part of the pohiri is everyone's favourite ` the kai. And catering for the masses is something we have been doing since way back. - For days, guests have arrived at the marae, and by tradition, they must be given entertainment and food. And every pa within the district has sent food to be cooked in a great hangi of hot stone. (MEN PERFORM HAKA) - Finally. I'm starving. But of course, before we eat, - (PERFORMS KARAKIA) - Ae. Tena koe, Matua. That ` that was karakia. Now karakia is an integral part of te ao Maori. We karakia for everything. That particular karakia was about kai. Now when you're in the whare kai, don't touch any kai until the karakia is done. You don't want to be that guy, eh, bro? - Yeah. You do not want to be that guy. Now the powhiri process isn't complete until you have kai. Aw, shot, sis. Is that steam pudding? With custard too? Ohh, on. It's not just because we like to eat ` we do like to eat. Everyone loves to eat. It's more than that. It's about manaakitanga and lifting any remaining tapu. Kai is like the cherry on top, or the custard on your steamed pudding. You just got to have it, eh? - Cooked food has the power to normalise people's sanctity, in terms of if you go through the pohiri process, the welcoming process, your personal levels of tapu, your personal sanctity levels have risen. And so in order to bring that back down to some kind of normality, food is the best way to do it. - I feel like when I have watched hui, pohiri, tangihanga, on live stream, I still feel the need to have to eat afterwards, just to whakanoa. Even though I'm watching it virtually, I still think, well, it's almost like I'm there anyway. So because I'm still partaking in the whole pohiri process, I still feel the need to settle and to calm down. My papa has always been the first to tell me after every hui, whether it's tangihanga or pohiri, always whakanoa at the end. Always have a kai. - Moving from the marae atea to the whare kai signals the transition from the formal to the informal part of the ceremony. It's important for the guests to feel relaxed and enjoy the delicious offerings. - Whare kai has a completely different energy. - It's relaxed. - So, it might start even that you're getting welcomed in and everyone's doing waiata a-ringa, so it might have a party vibe, or it might just have release after a really sad time in the wharenui. After a big hui, might be time for everyone to debrief. So the whare kai... - Gossip. Heaps of gossip in the whare kai. - Best gossip. - (LAUGHS) - Gossip. You'll hear all the stories about everybody, their past, their present, their future. Your neighbours dog. You know, all of that. - The atmosphere in the whare kai after a powhiri is just absolutely energetic, and vibrant, and everybody's getting to know each other on a whole another level. It's not as formal. There's laughter. There's kai. There's friendships and connections being made. Kai part is my favourite. (CHUCKLES) - Don't leave before the kai. You know, there's lots of reasons why you shouldn't do that. One of them is in terms of, you know, tapu levels that you need to come down. You need to be brought back into your body and into your normal everyday space. Another one is cos it's rude. - The kai. Obviously Maori love kai. And if you had a really nice kai at a marae, you know, you would really` oh, yeah. You'd talk about it, you know. Ka tino korerotia tera. The same can be said if there wasn't enough kai, or if kai wasn't very good, so, you know, people talk about that. - You can have the greatest marae, with the greatest hui, with the greatest kaupapa. The greatest speakers, the greatest songs, the greatest people, and if the kai sucks... that's all that will be remembered. Your mana is on the line with every mouthful of food as it melts in the mouth of your guests. That is your mana. - Speaking of putting one's mana on the line, I've invited some of my Ngati Pakeha mates over to try my delicious paraoa parai and kaimoana. Just call me Spring Onion Bae. Ha (!) E hoa ma, nau mai ki taku kauta. It's not actually my kauta. This is just a random kitchen that we borrowed. Heoi ano, nau mai ki tenei kauta. This is some very traditional Maori kai. Fried bread. Ready? Paraoa parai. - (CHUCKLES) Paraoa parai. Traditional, bro. Did you guys know growing up about your local iwi and about your local marae? - Not too much. No. So that would probably be part of that piece of teaching that sort of got missed out. - What about you, bro? Have you ever been to a marae? - Yes. We went on with school. - What was that experience like? - It was good. It was great. Yeah. - People always judge you on the mattress and on your food. In te ao Maori, looking after your manuhiri, looking after your guests is paramount, right? Ka mau ke te wehi. - Mmm. - Whiroki, yeah. Well, it looks like my guests are happy and my mana remains intact, for now. But just as food can bring people from different cultures together, so too can music. # Tutira mai... # Maori love to sing together, and waiata have always played a pivotal role in our cultural identity. - # Tatou e. # (LAUGHS) - # Me te. - BOTH: # Me te aroha. - # E nga iwi. - # Kia hapa tapatahi. # Whuuu. Is that the words? (BOTH LAUGH) Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Music has the power to carry... language, but intent, and people just feel it. Like Poi E ` probably a fantastic example. I don't know. There is joy in raising your voice with people in unison. And, you know, like, when the harmonies come out, you just sit there going, 'Wow.' Some people might love it, some people might hate it, but for us, it's unavoidable. And Maori who don't like singing, or who reckon they can't sing, are like, 'This is torture.' - Yeah. It's not good when you come from a family well-known for singing and you can't sing. I've got to be amongst 40 other people just to trounce my flat voice out. But what's happening today in Maori music, especially in Maori music that's in te reo Maori, it's fantastic, because it's huge in terms of normalising te reo, getting people on board with te reo, and, yeah, just making the reo, I think, making it cool. - # Purea nei # e te hau. # Horoia. # Horoia... # - Here's a group of Pakeha who'd have no trouble standing to support the kaikorero with a waiata. The Harmonic Resonators are a country band who've embraced te reo Maori, and are delighting crowds with their unique renditions of the classics. Tuatahi ake, ko wai koutou? - Ko The Whanau Harmonic Resonators tatou. We used to just jam at the Country Music Club all the time, you know? That was sort of our marae. (CHUCKLES) # Ngati Te Ata. - ALL: # Ngati Te Ata. # E karanga e te iwi e. - # Kua eke mai nei. - ALL: # Kua eke mai nei ki runga te marae e. # - Why did you pick up singing te reo Maori songs? - It just sort of happened. I was teaching at a predominantly Maori school at the time. And if you've got Maori kids in school singing waiata Maori, there's something real special about that. And then we just thought, look, we're playing a gig in Tauranga. Let's do the song that I think everybody learned in school here, you know? Tauranga Moana. - ALL: # Tauranga Moana. # Mauao Maunga. # - So we did Ka Pioioi next. - Banger. - And that's known all over the motu, you know? # E hoki mai ra. - ALL: # E hoki mai ra # kia kite atu i to iwi e. - # E rotarota ana. - ALL: # E rotarota ana, e katakata ana mai ra. # - (YODELS) - Hika ma. That's probably the best rendition of Ka Pioioi I've ever heard. - (LAUGHS RAUCOUSLY) - Move over, Elvis. You want a waiata? I'll give you a waiata, coming up after the break. - Well done, e te whanau. Having completed the pohiri process, you've established a connection with the marae and its people, so that you feel relaxed and at home. The more pohiri you attend, the more natural the process will become to you. Meanwhile, here's some pro-tips to get you started. - I would say, you know, one of the most important things when going to a marae is arrive early. The worst thing you could do, and I've done this before, is get there late. - I personally take socks without holes, cos you're gonna take your shoes off. Preferably socks that match as well. Don't put your missus' pink socks on, cos ka korerotia koe. - Have a skirt in the car, and have a black top. I have many black tops, so I don't have a problem with that. - And if you're gonna stay the night at the marae, I always take my own pillow. Tenei. And my own sheet. You know? But don't take it in with you when you get the call. So don't walk and say, 'Karanga mai.' No, don't do that. Kahore. Leave it in the car and bring it in later, because you could offend our kuia who have already made the beds up. So they normally will make up the mattresses, tidy them up, and if they see you walk in with this, they're gonna go, 'Oh my gosh.' You're gonna see everyone talking like this, so leave it in the car or the bus, and discreetly bring it in with your luggage and change it. - I always... (SIGHS) I take my slippers. They are the go-to, honestly, because you do get a bit envious of the aunties and the nannies wearing their slippers. And I always take my pink ones, because they are generally the only ones that are pink. So you know if someone's going to be taking them, you can spot them from a mile away. - Do you think more New Zealanders should be exposed to te ao Maori and what goes on in the marae? - Ae. I think that it's very important for our Pakeha and our other cultures in New Zealand to acknowledge our tikanga. - A pohiri on a marae should be an experience that every single person in Aotearoa should go through. - Absolutely. Ahakoa no whea koe, ko wai koe, every New Zealander should experience a noho on a marae, or a powhiri on a marae. - How did you carry yourself to make sure that you weren't... you know, pissing anyone off? - I was watching all of the people who were welcoming us onto the space and following them. - Take your cues from the local people. Keep an eye out for them. They'll give you your cues. They'll tell you when to sit down. They'll tell you when to come and shake hands and all of that kind of stuff. This is a Maori world you're going into, and things will be different than what you're used to, but you just take your respect on, and then you'll be` you'll be fine, as long as you go on there with respect and genuine intent, you'll be fine. - So there it is, e hoa ma. The pohiri process explained. But just in case, it's all gone in one taringa and out the other, Here's a little recap ` # Kua mutu ra te hui. # He aha te mea nui? # Our hui is now done. # We have connected. # We have become one. But what does that mean? - # Karanga, karanga, karanga. (LIVELY MUSIC) - # Oh, haere mai. When you arrive, # it comes as no surprise... Or maybe to Judith. # ...ko te reo tuatahi o te marae # ko te reo o te wahine. - Te rangi e tu nei. - # E nga iwi e, # haere mai # ki runga o # te marae. - # Oh, haere mai. When you arrive, # tane ma who will speak on the pae. # And, yes, you must listen to it all. - Kia poto te kakau o taku paipa. - (CHUCKLES) Heard that one before, Uncle. MIMICS KUIA: Don't you worry, boy. You're up next. Ahh. My time to shine. Tihei mauri ora. (WHOOSH!) Tuia ki runga. (BLEH!) Tuia ki raro. MIMICS KUIA: Boy! Stop being a hoha, and lay down that koha. - # No reira e nga iwi, # haere mai. - # Toro mai to ihu. # No, we are not trying to scare you. # Do I hongi? Do I kihi? # If in doubt, hug it out. - # No reira e nga iwi, # haere mai. - MIMICS KUIA: # Oh, when I look at you, MIMICS KUIA: # you look so sweet, dear. MIMICS KUIA: # A little skinny, though. # I'll eat some pork bones. # Maybe some puha. # Maybe some koura. MIMICS KUIA: # You better not touch that until the karakia. MIMICS KUIA: # 'Come with a tea towel. # 'You're whanau now.' # I'll grab a tea towel, # cos we're whanau now. - # No reira e nga iwi, # haere mai. # (LIVELY MUSIC CONTINUES) - Kss, hi aue, hi! Coming up next time on Hongi to Hangi ` We explore the inner workings of the marae, from the grumpy auntie in the kitchen, to the hard-case uncle doing the hangi. Maori are mean at hosting large gatherings. Find out how and why our people are so good at doing hui on the marae next time on Hongi to Hangi.