Lusia's Recount: Marae

A Powhiri is like a welcoming when you go into a Marae and welcome visitors like a school or a iwi (tribe). When you go to the Marae you have to be greeted with a Powhiri and when you past at the middle you wait to past your respect to the marae. There’s only have to be one woman welcoming us to the the marae and singing. There’s also rules in a Marae you have to be respectful, take off your shoes before you go into the marae, boys have to sit at the back and girls have to sit in front of the boys and be very quiet.

When we walked to the Marae I felt nervous and excited all I saw was just my friends talking and walking. When I was talking to my Soul Friend she was scared of the Maori things and I told her i’ll be there for her. Then finally we were there waiting for a little while for the lady who is calling us in the marae. After that we heard and looked at the lady welcoming us to the marae and my friend who is answering her call and I felt scared and with relief. Then when we reached the marae we we took our shoes off and sat down inside the marae and looking at the speaker. This man was talking to us in Maori and most of us didn’t really understand him and we were feeling confused. But then these boys in our class were said a speech to them and introducing us. After they introduced us Mr Coakley was talking about what he does for us and how we were excited about coming to the Marae. Then after Mr Coakley was finished his speech we stood up and sang a Maori song.

Then one of the ladies were saying something and we were listening and I felt happy and belonged. Then our five boys were doing a hongi with the Maori people and my friend who answered the Powhiri. So when we finished we had morning tea and I felt really hungry so I grabbed my lunch and was eating my oranges and felt full. When I finished my food I was playing with my friends. We were playing pukana which is pretty fun and funny. But there were rules and we were not allowed to laugh and we had to put a really good Pukana on your face to become a Maori character.

Then we got called out to go inside the hall and they were telling us that we are going to be separate to two groups. Me and Room 7 and our Soul Friends were going to learn how to do a flower braid with flax and my soul friends were confused and I was excited. So when we finished our session it was time we go to our last session it was with this old man with a very interesting nose and he was teaching us some Maori songs. He teached us the heads, shoulders song in Maori and we know it by heart. After we learnt that song he sang a song. After we had the session we said prayers for lunch and ate our lunch because after eating we had to go to Tech. It was a very great day and exciting but happy because I got a chance to go to a marae again.