One of the great parts of the Fulbright NZ Orientation program was our family’s opportunity to attend a Maori Marae. A Marae is both a place and a cultural / religious experience. As a place it includes a meeting house and grounds, all of which are intricately and beautifully decorated. As an experience, it includes a request of entry from outside the walls by the visitors, and then a formal welcome by the owners of the Marae. Once inside we were instructed about Maori culture and history. We ate good food and spent the night in a communal hall. It was quite an experience. I’ll refer you to www.teara.govt.nz for an authoritative multimedia description all things NZ
We also were taken next door to the museum that held their long boats and other cultural artifacts.
The PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center) in Laie, Hawaii has such a house in the Maori Village within this microcosm of Polynesia. But to go to an ancient one and see the long canoes and the jade is quite exciting. During our Hawaii years, I was taught to body surf by a good Maori friend, Waha Elkington, who had feet that were almost webbed like duck feet. He helped me conquer Pounders, the only shore break (without any coral reefs out at sea) in all of Oahu's Windward side: where King Kamehameha used to bring his long canoe to visit his citizens on the Windward side of the island of Oahu.
ReplyDeleteDid you meet a tattoed Maori at the Marae?
Love from Paul and Sandy
No one was displaying their tatoos on their face at the Marae, but I have seen lots of tatoos around town (traditional Maori and otherwise) and even a few people with them on their faces (men and women).
DeleteBeautiful.
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