Visiting a Maori Marae

One of the best ways to understand the Maori Culture is to visit a Marae. A Maori Marae is an area in front of the meeting house of the Maori. When people are talking about visiting a Marae they mean visiting the whole complex; the area in front of the meeting house and the meeting house itself.

When visiting a Marae you should be respectful, the Marae is a sacred place. Every time when visitors enter the Marae a welcome ritual is performed, it is called te powhiri. Te powhiri includes welcome calls, speeches, ceremonials, songs and so on, between the host and the visitor.

After the te powhiri the visitors can interact with the locals. This includes handshaking and the hongi. Hongi is pressing each other’s noses, no rubbing. For some people this can be a problem; it is perceived as to personal.

A few protocols must be respected as well. When entering the Marae you have to take off your shoes. When receiving food, or other gifts, is it appropriate to give a donation to the Maori.

For additional information about the Maori Culture please read the section “Maori Culture” in the category “About New Zealand”.