The Pōwhiri Ceremony | What are your intentions?

For the Māori people, New Zealand is called Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. Now imagine yourself back in time. After several hours’ walking, you spot the wooden fortifications of a Māori village. Suddenly, a deep, powerful sound echoes through the forest. The echo gets closer…

Then warriors jump out in front of you with their weapons. They speak, even shout. You don’t yet understand their intentions. One of them runs towards you, then slowly approaches. His cries freeze you in place, while your heart is racing. The man defies you, sticking out his tongue, while his bulging eyes send a chill down your spine. What can you do? Just wait for these sudden gestures and menacing grimaces to stop? It seems like an eternity. Without taking his eyes off you, the warrior then places a fern branch on the ground.

Without losing sight of the Māoris, you step forward hesitantly to pick up the mysterious branch. The warrior approaches. Screams, tongue sticking out, eyes bulging, spears threatening! Suddenly, his body stretched close to the ground, he swings his weapon a quarter circle to the right, then to the left, as if to open an invisible door. Straightening up, he turns his back to you, slaps a hand on his thigh and walks away… Barely a few seconds of silence and then a woman’s voice echoes, her hands shaking ferns, her singing is melodious and, above all, sounds friendly. Phew!

To learn more: New Zealand Tourism

---