Welcome!

I attended my first powhiri* ceremony.  That's the traditional Maori welcome ritual.  This was at work, for a new employee's first day.  We don't welcome each new employee with an elaborate powhiri, but it seemed appropriate and important in this instance.

All of us hosts-- the tangata whenua of our workplace, as it were-- gathered in our meeting room.  Our leader made a little speech or invocation to set the mood for why we were there.  We began to sing, with one of our talented clients as guitar accompanist.  The words were Maori but the tune was the same as 'How Great Thou Art', so I hummed along.

As we sang, our new employee slowly approached the meeting room, flanked by two staff members.  Our song drew to a close and the elder female Maori staff member launched a kauranga, or call --formalised, ululating, and somewhat eerie to the uninitiated ear-- in the doorway for the purpose of weaving a rope between the the Established and the New.

The new employee joined the circle around the edge of the room.  Our leader made a speech.  A community elder made a speech.  Finally, our new employee made a speech.  We sang another song as a group, intended to show our approval and integration.  We gave our new employee a gift: a small purse made of the traditional flax weaving.  Then she greeted all of us personally with a quick 'kia ora' and a kiss on the cheek.  I saw several of the men taking the opportunity to greet each other with a hongi, a swift and gentle pressing of noses and foreheads.   Then we adjourned to the break room to share some kai:  scones, muffins, sausage rolls, bread with cheese, and of course 'white tea with one' (strong black tea with milk and a teaspoon of sugar per cup).

*POE fir ee