In November 2012 I had the pleasure of visiting my first ever real-life marae (pronounced mar-i). A marae is a Maori meeting house and although I had been to similar ones before, they were always the tourist version. This was the real deal; the Whakaahurangi Marae in Stratford.
A visit to a marae is filled with numerous customs so for me, this was an eye opener into the Maori culture. We were welcomed on by one of their senior ladies and we had to be led on by a male member of our party. There were a few protocols before we were granted entry such as removing footwear and once inside the building we exchanged formal greetings which included both groups singing a waiata (Maori song or chant). Our little group of four sang Ko Te Whaea which you can hear here. I found this quite nerve wracking but my training at the Frannies circa '88-'91 with Mrs. Smith got me through. It was lovely to meet the people involved there and we spent the rest of of the afternoon eating good kai (food) and talking about how we can really engage the Maori students at our school. Here's some photos of day...
LM :)
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