So last Friday I went to my first proper hui. (For the non-Kiwis in the audience: a hui is a meeting conducted in accordance with Maori protocol. There’s more to it than that, but it’s enough to go on.)
It was held in a small marae in Rotorua, where people had gathered to discuss the possibility of a national body for traditional Maori healing practitioners. I was there as an observer and note-taker.
It was the first time I’ve ever been formally welcomed on to a marae. I’ve always considered this a significant gap in my experience, so it was nice to be part of this at last. And it was important to my understanding of New Zealand’s tangata whenua, its native people. As two different people told me during the day, the marae is the heart of Maori culture; everything comes out from the marae.
A formal welcome ceremony, or powhiri, took us visitors from outside the marae, through the gates and up to the meeting house. The women went first, with men at the back. All the women took off their shoes as they entered the meeting house, and I was surprised when the men didn’t follow suit. It turns out that this tribe is the only one in the country where men are allowed to wear shoes within the meeting house.
The two elders of the hosts and the visitors then spoke, and there were some songs, and then the welcome was complete and we headed over to the dining room for cups of tea. It was quite an intense experience for me. I didn’t understand much at all of what was said and sung – my understanding of the Maori language (te reo) is close to nil, with a small vocabulary and not much else. Nevertheless, I was engaged fully by the feeling accompanying the words. Several speakers emphasised this aspect in a different way, telling me that in te reo you can understand the full feeling of what was said, much more than can be translated into English.
Traditionally, everyone should introduce themselves formally, naming their mountain, their river and the canoe on which their ancestors came to Aotearoa. A less-formal introduction was used for this hui, which suited me just fine!
The hui went on and I took notes and listened. Much of it was in te reo, so I couldn’t follow that too closely, but there was enough English spoken that I picked up the flow of the day as the issue was discussed. Following Maori protocol, speakers often followed their words with a song, and the strum of the guitar was a big part of the day’s events.
I met a lot of interesting people, and had some neat conversations in the dining hall for lunch. It was important and a lot of fun. Though I am not Maori, Maori culture is a part of my identity as a New Zealander; in some sense, it’s mine too. I don’t own it or possess it, but I have a stake in its vibrancy and well-being.
Overall, a very memorable day.