Marae: Experiencing the Maori Culture

One of the most unexpected moments I've had since I've arrived (let's face it, I've had this a lot for a while now) was being able to go to a Marae and getting to experience a day in the life of a Maori tribe.

For some bits of information, just so we are on the same page, let's get some definitions of these words in (I know they sound foreign). A marae "is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies" (wikipedia.org). And Maori is the general term used for native New Zealand tribes or people. A marae is typically a small unit of the Maori community that houses a particular Maori tribe (or at least lets put it in that sense just so we understand each other).

Now that we've got that straightened out, let me get on to my story-telling.

So, anyway, as I said, I was fortunate enough to have been able to go to one. Not many people get to, not even Kiwi's, apparently. So it was a great honor. =)

Started the day with a meet-up at UCOL with all the other lads and lasses bustling about, waiting for the go signal to board the bus that would take us to Foxton, where the marae would be held, and boy, the sheer number of Indian lads and lasses just about threw me out the building! They were a staggering number! I estimated them to be about 50-80% of our total number and the gals were all wearing traditional clothing which I thought was pretty cool (except that the day we went to the marae just had to be the same day the wind blew so hard and there was a threat of rain hanging in the distance, so the Indians might've found it colder than the rest of us who were wearing thick jackets).

Finally, the bus was en route to our destination and we were all getting restless, not knowing where we were headed or what we expected to find. When we did arrive, the driver and lecturers told us to wait until the Maori gave the go signal for us to start the "traditional entrance ceremony" held in all marae's.

The way we entered the marae was an event in itself. It was spectacular and, by some degree, also quite terrifying. We had to form a big group, the girls in front, the guys at the back with Dylan and Audrey (Maori girl) leading the pack. A Maori warrior that was wearing nothing but black undies with a straw front covering and a straw cape (I really have no idea how to describe what he was wearing so forgive me if I failed to enrich your vivid imaginations) and carrying a long spear greeted us with frightening facial expressions and attention-grabbing traditional martial arts moves while shouting some Maori words that were too hard to understand. Step-by-step, we proceeded with our slow procession toward the main building (whose name I've already forgotten). The warrior then threw a leaf at us and Dylan picked it up in the most careful manner (we were told later than if you picked up the leaf the wrong way, the warrior would then attack you coz they'd think you have ill intentions toward them. It was either attack, or be attacked.) The older male Maori near the entrance door of the main house kept blowing this huge horn while the older female Maori was calling out to us in their language. Audrey answered her in their language as well. This was apparently the part where the females ask each other's permission and gauge each other's spiritual intentions before we were finally "hoarded" into the main house to sit and wait until all the formalities had been done.

Finally, we were able to enter this huge, beautiful, native and quite furniture-scarce main house. We sat and all the formal speeches were made by both parties. After almost every speech, a traditional Maori song was offered. Of course, all of these were spoken mostly in Maori language so we really had no idea what was going on. But just being able to witness such a powerful ceremony was a thrill on its own. It was mesmerizing to watch and it was hard to look away (actually, we were terrified to move because we might offend someone so we sat there frozen regardless, anyway).

Soon the formalities were done and all that was left was greeting each Maori tribe member one by one. And get this, the way to greet them is to touch nose to nose. Yep! That's how they do it, and that's how we did it. It was a shock. And it felt very intimate. But most of all, it felt very welcoming. It was as if, after all the formalities, we had become a part of their family. "Awesome" was the only word I could think of that time. It was just beautiful.

They then proceeded to explaining all the stuff in English (finally) and we soon understood what had taken place. They taught us Maori songs which was quite fun, really. Most were action songs and one was a game. I found the Maori girl who taught us the songs really gorgeous. Her beauty was unconventional and it was the type you wouldn't really get tired of looking at no matter how long you stare. Anyway, they also taught us about cultural safety and the Treaty of Waitangi, both of which was a humongous thing here in New Zealand and was held with utmost respect. And in the afternoon, we were taught about the different properties, medicinal attributes and whatnot of some of the native plants in the New Zealand wilderness (of which, none of the plant names they mentioned I remember and I have a general conclusion that most of their plants can be used for medicine. haha).

So we did all that other stuff. Now the fun part. Eating! We had morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. And in all of those times, they served us full meals! Morning and afternoon tea were mostly a variety of drinks (which, of course, includes tea), several bread, fruits, meat, soup (the clam chowder they served in the afternoon was mouthwatering!). Lunch was a selection of viands, fruit, and salads. But the most entertaining and most interesting was dinner. Who could ever forget a hangi? Once you've had it, you'll remember the taste forever. Mighty interesting, that food was. Definitely.

So what is a hangi, you ask? Well, it's a type of food preparation where the food is buried under the ground on top of melting hot sunrocks and left to steam and cook for 3 hours under all that dirt. It's the best type of preparation for a large crowd, and since it requires a ton of hard work (digging, heating, etc), in the Maori culture, it is one of the greatest honors. That fact touched me quite a bit. =) And the taste? Well, in our hangi, we had lamb, chicken, potatoes, cumarra, pumpkin, corn, and peas, and let's just say, the combination of the individual item's taste plus the way it was prepared was very interesting. Certainly nothing I've ever tried before. =)

The day soon became dark and we piled onto the dining area (now turned entertainment area) for the cultural exchange. It's the part where we share whatever part of our culture to the group (be it in a song, dance, or game). Us Pinoys did the Tinikling (and yes, I was the female dancer. Not very good at it, I admit. =p) and the game Bahay-Kubo. I'd like to think they enjoyed our presentations. The Maori sang a traditional song and so did the Lecturers, Koreans and Chinese. The German danced a perky german dance which was absolutely fun and hilarious. And the Indians, who I've said took up majority of our numbers, also took up majority of the cultural exchange. =D They danced, well, Indian dances but for the most part, they did modern dances. They were a rowdy bunch. =D

And as fast as the day had come, it's now drew to a close. The final part was the haka. A traditional Maori way of saying farewell (I think) through a chant/dance/song by the men using the entirety of their bodies (even their eyeballs!). I thought it was amazing! But, deep down, some part of me was probably shocked. =) (To know what a haka is, search it in youtube) After the haka, we left the tribe with another set of nose-to-nose farewells and then we were off.

It was a spectacular day and a day I am sure to never forget. =D It was an experience of a lifetime! =)

xoxo

-hny-