What is a Pōhiri?
A Pohiri is a traditional welcome to guests/manuhiri or new people to our place. It has a set structure of speeches and waiata from both sides.
Why do we have a Pōhiri?
It is important to welcome our new people and guests to our whenua/land and school/kura. The first people of our land; mana whenua (those who hold the mana of this land) will invite, welcome, say karakia/prayers to remove any tapu/sacredness and restore noa/safety, removing restrictions.
The Pohiri process connects the two groups and brings them together as one.
Kupu / Words or terminology
Tangata whenua – the local people, local iwi, mana whenua
Whenua – the land
Mana Whenua – the first people of the land who hold the mana of the whenua
Mana – prestige, authority, status
Manuhiri – the guests, visitors
Kaumatua – elders
Kaikaranga – the female caller
Haka pōhiri – an action chant performed
Whaikorero – speeches
Waiata tautoko – songs to follow each korero/speech
Paepae – designated seats for elders and dignitaries
Hongi – pressing of noses, sharing of the breath
Hariru – shaking of hands
Tapu – sacred, restricted
Noa – safe, free, restrictions removed
Roopu – group
Tipuna – ancestors
Tikanga – the correct way of doing something, the protocols
Tikanga / Protocols / Process
- The manuhiri will gather ready to be welcomed in. The wahine/females to the front and the tane/males to the back of the group/roopu.
- The kaikaranga from the tangata whenua will call the manuhiri into the place. The manuhiri may have a kai karanga to respond to the tangata whenua call.
- As the manuhiri walk into the welcome the tangata whenua will likely perform a haka pōhiri.
- Kaumatua from the tangata whenua are seated on their paepae.
Kaumatua from the manuhiri will also take their place on their paepae, usually to the left hand side of the tangata whenua paepae.
- Wahine/females sit on the right in most cases and males/tane on the left adjacent to their paepae.
- The kaumatua for the tangata whenua will begin the formal part of the welcome and give a korero that includes a karakia, reference to the Iwi and mana whenua and their tipuna/ancestors, a welcome to manuhiri and will reference where they are coming from. They will bless the manuhiri and remove any tapu.
Members of the tangata whenua roopu will perform a waiata tautoko for the korero just given.
- The manuhiri kaumatua will now give a korero on behalf of all the visitors, followed by a waiata tautoko from the manuhiri roopu.
- Tangata whenua kaumatua will complete the process as the final speaker with a waiata tautoko to follow.
- The paepae members of the manuhiri will be invited across for the hariru and hongi.
The formlaities are conlcuded with the paepae and guests invited to a ‘cuppa’ and kai to complete the noa process.
Kaumatua Korero / Elders speech
What is the kaumatua speaking about?
The korero the kaumatua will give is fluid and responsive. It is not possible
(nor is it tikanga) to translate into english what is being said at the same time. They will definitely give a karakia, include references to the tipuna of the whenua and Iwi and welcome the manuhiri.
They will pay respects to those who have past from within the tangata whenua whānau in recent times, especially if they had a connection to our kura.
For us at TPI, they will speak to Waitaha and Tapuika Iwi as mana whenua.
If the kaumatua knows anyone in the manuhiri roopu they will specifically mention them and/or reference where they are from.
They are likely to mention names from the tangata whenua roopu as well and it’s not uncommon for any of the speakers to make reference to current, political or national events that are relevant in this setting.