Pōwhiri

What a pōwhiri is

A pōwhiri is a welcome given by Māori hosts, the tangata whenua or people of the land, to visitors called manuhiri. It takes place on a marae, and the greetings happen on the marae ātea, the courtyard that lies before the meeting house. The pattern follows kawa, the protocol of that particular marae, so no two are quite alike, though the broad shape holds across iwi. A less formal welcome called a mihi whakatau may be used instead. Pōwhiri mark many occasions: important guests, tourist groups, special events, and the arrival of a body at the marae before a tangihanga, a funeral.

The challenge and the call

At the most formal welcomes, warriors of the marae may put a wero to the visitors. The word means to throw a spear, yet no spear is thrown. In earlier times it revealed whether strangers came in peace, and today it is kept for dignitaries and officials. One warrior, or three in turn, lays a small token called a taki on the ground, then steps back and watches. A senior male visitor lifts the token. After that a woman of the hosts begins the karanga, a long call that rises and falls away. Her words are not fixed. She greets the visitors, names their ancestors, rivers and mountains, and asks them to bring their dead to be mourned.

Speeches, songs and hongi

Formal speaking, the whaikōrero, comes next. The speakers are called kaikōrero and sit at the front on the paepae, a bench kept for them; the role is an honour given to people of high standing. Many marae allow speeches only in te reo Māori. A speaker may greet the meeting house, the land, the mountains and rivers, the people listening and the spirits of the dead, before turning to the business of the day. Each speech is followed by a waiata, a song, to support it. The last guest speaker sets the koha, the gift, on the ground, and the last host speaker, who always speaks after the guests, picks it up. The hongi ends the ceremony.

Today and change

Pōwhiri are still held often, mostly to receive important guests, and they are also performed for tourist groups and at special events. Kawa differs from place to place: who leads the walking on, how people are seated, who may speak, and how the koha is lifted. Whaikōrero remains both an art and something of a contest. It can still turn into a sharp debate, as it did at the Te Matatini welcome in 2023, when speakers argued over who held mana whenua in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. Speakers use gesture as well, holding tokotoko, walking sticks, or weapons such as taiaha and toki, and they may walk about or duck to press a point home.

How Pōwhiri is kept

Visitors gather at the entrance while the hosts get ready. They greet one another and work out who will take each role, and any koha is collected and given to the visitors' last speaker. At a very formal welcome, warriors may first offer the wero and lay a token down. Otherwise a woman of the hosts starts the karanga as the visitors walk in, and callers among the guests answer her. The visitors pause in the courtyard to remember the dead, then take their seats. Speeches and songs follow, guests first, ending with the gift. A final host speech accepts it, and the hongi closes the ceremony.

When and where

There is no fixed date. A pōwhiri happens when visitors arrive on a marae. It may mark a visit by dignitaries or officials, a special event, or a tourist group. One is often held to bring a body onto the marae before a tangihanga. Where a full welcome is not wanted, hosts may choose the mihi whakatau instead.

A pōwhiri belongs to the marae, the Māori meeting places of Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is on marae that it is strongest. Every iwi and often every marae keeps its own kawa. The welcome begins at the entrance and moves onto the marae ātea; if speeches are held indoors, they take place in the wharenui, the meeting house.

What Pōwhiri means

A pōwhiri is held to carry spiritual weight, and it is rooted in Māori mythology. Its purpose is to clear a path between two groups so that they can meet safely, and in older days to learn whether strangers came in peace. The karanga is sacred, the first words spoken between hosts and guests, and the caller carries the mana of the marae. The dead are present throughout: callers invoke the ancestors and can invite the visitors' dead home to be mourned.

Questions people ask about Pōwhiri

See also

White SundayA Samoan holiday honoring children with church services, white clothing, and family gatherings on the second Sunday of OMaraeA cleared, sacred gathering place at the heart of Māori and Polynesian community lifeWhakapapaMāori genealogy, recited to place a person among ancestors, land and tribeKarakiaMāori incantations and prayers recited for spiritual guidance, safety and ceremony

Good reading and sources

• Pōwhiri on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.