All registered delegates are invited to attend the pōwhiri, which officially marks the beginning of the Congress. The pōwhiri (ritual of encounter) is the traditional process of engagement between two or more groups. It involves a series of highly ritualised processes, and determines the relatedness and connectedness of each group with respect to the other and with respect to the spiritual, physical and metaphorical domains. The tangata whenua, or home people (literally people of the land), invite visitors to declare their intentions (whether friendly or not). This involves a series of contextualised rules governing the process of the coming together of the groups, and formalises the process of establishing the ancestral identity of each group relative to the other, as well as to the physical and natural world and to the spiritual world.

In the process of the formal speeches, Gods and the ancestral origins of all those attending are acknowledged, as are important ancestral connections. Characteristically, there is recognition of all of those who have gone before (tüpuna or ancestors) and who now reside in the spirit world watching over the living. There is a ritualised process of the separation of the deceased from the living before the speaker is free to concentrate on the issues at hand for those attending.

Recognition is made of local groups or significant local figures of prestige (for example the M ori King) and visitors are again formally welcomed and warmly greeted. Depending on the reason for the pōwhiri, there is often opportunity to voice significant issues, concerns or challenges to those attending prior to the formal closing of the speech. Traditionally, a speaker is supported by those of their sub-tribe with the incantation or a waiata (song) traditionally significant to the area of the speaker. It is important to recognise that there is variation between specific tribes, but that the essential tenets of the pōwhiri are similar.

Following the formal process of the pōwhiri, visitors are welcomed as one of the tangata whenua (home people), sealed with the traditional touching of noses, the hongi. Following this, it is traditional for all attendees at the pōwhiri to be fed and entertained by the home people at a häkari or feast to celebrate the coming together of friends.

At the 2010 Congress the pōwhiri process will be led by the tangata whenua and responded to by the NZ RANZCP Kaumatua Arama Pirika supported by the manuhiri (visitors). Waiata will be provided on the Congress website to enable delegates to learn the waiata tautoko (support waiata) and himene (hymn), which will be used to support the Kaumatua at the pōwhiri.

Adapted, with permission, from Te Iho website www.teiho.org.

Dr Hinemoa Elder
Chair, Te Kaunihera mo te Hauora Hinengaro Māori RANZCP

These two waiata (songs) are sung by tamariki (children) and kaimahi (staff) from the holiday programme Rangatahi Jam April 2008. The programme is run every school holidays by Te Whare Ruruhau O Meri ( The Sanctuary of The Virgin Mary). This is a non-governmental organisation which provides advocacy, understanding, monitoring and support for whanau (families) throughout the year, as well as the therapeutic programme "Te Kawa o Te Marae" (The protocols of the marae traditional meeting house) for tamariki and their whanau (children and their families).

He honore, he kororia
Maungarongo ki te whenua
Whakaaro pai e
Ki nga tangata katoa
Ake ake, ake ake
Amine

Te Atua, te Piringa
Toku oranga, toku oranga

Honour and glory
Blessings on the land
Good thoughts
For all the people
Forever and ever
Amen

God, the Saviour
My wellbeing, my wellbeing

Te Whare e tu nei
Aue, karanga mai
Te marae takoto nei
Karanga

E te iwi, te iwi e pai nei
Tēna ra koutou kātoa

Tae mai te powhiri
Kua tutuki nei
He honore rangatira
Ki a mātou

E mihi kauatu
Ki nga reo katoa
E hapu kua
Heke mai nei

Nga te aroha
Tatou e kawe mai
Ki tēnei huihuinga

Ki tēnei huihuinga

The house standing here ( supporting song)

The house standing here
I cry, call to me
The area lying in front of the house
Call

To the tribe, the virtuous tribe
Welcome to you all

The ritual of meeting arrived
It has been completed
The hounourable leaders
Amongst us (acknowledged)

Reciprocal greetings
In the languages of us all
(To) The extended family groups
Who have descended from here

All the love
We bring here
To this great meeting

To this great meeting

Notes: The “whare” refers to a traditional whare tupuna (ancestral meeting house) and the “marae” to the “marae atea” the sacred area in front of the whare tupuna.  The “karanga” refers to the ritual of encounter when entering a marae atea space where women from the whare tupuna “karanga” (call) to the visiting group as they move forward.  Women from the visting group “karanga” in return.  In this way women of the two groups set the scene for the interaction and subjects for discussion at the hui or huihuinga (meeting).

There are many different types of waiata for different occasions.  This waiata is sung to support (tautoko) a speaker after they have completed their speech.