My experience at Parihaka!

!!!!!! PARIHAKA EXPERIENCE !!!!!!

I had only been awake for about 1-10 minutes when we were packed in the car ready for swimming lessons.  Mum had packed all our things we needed to go to Parihaka. Mum got me out of swimming lessons 5 minutes early so we would not be late for the Powhiri. When we got there we put on our gumboots and went to the crowd of people waiting for sign to go into the Marae.  The women/girls were in a group altogether and the men/boys surrounded them. Then there was two women that did a welcoming song to everyone. When the song finished they lined up in a line ready to the Hongi with the men. Once the men had finished the first lot of women went in they did a Hongi and then lined up next to the peron they had just done the Hongi with. Just before I had to go up mum said to go slowly so you don't bang heads and say Tēnā koe. I went up to the first person very confidently and did my VERY FIRST Hongi!!! we went all the way round the Marae doing Hongi's then stopped and finished and waited for the command E noho. We sat down on the ground and then some men started the Powhiri. It took two whole hours because they kept arguing wether it should have some in english or not. In the end it ended up all Maori. There were some waitas in between. Afterwards there was a MAGNIFICENT kai. None of the food was processed mum called 'Food from the land'. After the kai we went back into the car and went home. That was my Paihaka experience.  

By Evette