The Maori Culture has a stigma attached to it. It is wrong. In the Western World many of us believe the Maori people prance around doing the Hakka in next to nothing clothes whilst munching on a human limb. Ok, so thats an overeggerating but you get the gist.
The 'new' New Zealanders aka the people that aren't Maori, are respectful of the Maori cultures so therefore if you stay in New Zealand you are asked to go to a Maori Powhiri where you are invited into their worship building and you are greeted whilst listening to a Maori women sing the welcoming song.
The process is as follows:
1. You congregate outside the worship room
2. Everyone takes off their shoes
3. The men enter first (traditionally this was the check the space for any dangers before the women entered)
4. As you enter you are greeted by the Maori one at a time by pressing noses together twice and staring with complete concentration. Following this is a firm hand shake when you say Kia Ora (thanking for them having you)
5. You are now welcomed into the Marae where the ceremony takes place.
A Maori Meeting
The Powhiri is a short but memorable experience that is greatly appreciated by the original New Zealand culture. The fact that they still have this so strong in this country is admiring and completely contradicts the conception they are all cannibals (although the leader did joke of this at first and told stories of when they did feed so many people with their leaders dead body at their funeral!)
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