(which was last week.)
We had already had a brief learning about the protocol which happens when we get to the Marae so that we knew what to do.
All of the year eights from HNI went there on four buses.Once we had arrived we gathered together facing the marae and then sang our school song.
After we finished singing we moved around so that girls were at the front and the boys were at the back. We then followed behind a lady walking slowly to the marea atea where we then sat down. The girls sat at the back and the boys sat at the front. When it is started there was a speech and then Clive school sang two songs then it was over to us for us to then sing a song.
Once the powhiri had finished they lead us into wharekai where there they gave us water and biscuits and then we separated into three groups. One group stayed in the wharekai and Whaea Edwards then spoke to that group about the history of her family in the marae and explained what the painting and art work on the wall meant.
The next group went to the wharenui where Matua Unahi talked to us about Kahungunu and his relations about the ceiling panels and that they represent the local rivers - Ngaruroro
- Tutaekuri
- Tukituki
He also talked about the tukutuku panels, explaining what they mean
One symbolized the stairway to heaven or the stairway to knowledge because it had patterns on it that looked like lots of stairs that lead upwards.
The last group was with Matua Mulligan who talked about Maui and his ancestors, about the carvings on the wharehui. He also talked more about the protocol that happens, how there is the karanga ( the calling on) where the girls walk on first then the boys. How there was then the powhiri where there were speeches and songs from both the hosts and the visitors.
In the end I learnt and saw some things I hadn't seen before.
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| This is a picture of a whale jaw inside the wharenui. |
Nice Description. That whale jaw is large. '
ReplyDeleteAshleigh Sherriff