Māori Marae Protocol at a Tangihanga: Pōwhiri Steps for Visitors

You Cannot Simply Walk In

The most important thing to understand about arriving at a marae during a tangihanga is that you do not walk onto the grounds as an individual. You arrive as part of a group. You wait. You are called. You enter in formation. Every step follows a sequence that has been practised for centuries, and the hosts manage the tempo.

This is the pōwhiri — the formal welcome — and it is not negotiable.

Step 1: Gather at the Waharoa

Visitors wait at the entrance gate (waharoa) until enough people have assembled to form a delegation (ope). This grouping allows the hosts to welcome everyone efficiently and preserves the energy of the kaumātua and kuia who must perform the welcoming karanga and whaikōrero for each arriving group.

If you arrive alone and there is no delegation forming, wait quietly. Other visitors will arrive. Someone from the marae may come out to gather you into a group. Do not wander onto the grounds unannounced.

While waiting, confirm three things: your phone is silenced, your hat and sunglasses are removed, and you know where to leave your shoes.

Step 2: The Karanga

When the hosts are ready, a kuia (female elder) from the home people will begin the karanga — a long, piercing ceremonial call that opens the spiritual pathway between the hosts and the visitors. The karanga acknowledges the dead, the ancestors, and the visiting group.

If your delegation has a kaikaranga (a woman who can return the call), she responds. If not, the group simply listens and begins to move forward when directed.

Step 3: Walk Onto the Marae Ātea

The visiting group walks forward slowly and in formation. Women lead, with elder women and the kaikaranga at the very front. Men walk behind and to the sides. Walk with heads slightly bowed. Pause briefly halfway across the courtyard — this silent moment acknowledges the ancestors and the deceased.

Do not talk, laugh, wave, or take photos during this walk. The karanga continues throughout.

Step 4: The Pause for the Dead

Many marae observe a moment of silence in the courtyard. Some visitors will stand before a memorial stone or marker. The group pauses to honour those who have gone before. Follow the lead of the senior members of your delegation.

Step 5: Enter the Wharenui

The group is directed into the wharenui (meeting house) where the tūpāpaku lies. Remove shoes and leave them tidily outside the door. Take the seats indicated — do not choose your own spot. Seating protocols vary by tribe, and the hosts will direct you.

In some regions, visitors sit on the left side of the wharenui facing the casket, with the whānau pani on the right. In Te Arawa tradition, the casket is typically placed on the right-hand side of the house, and the gender-segregated greeting follows. The local kawa governs which configuration applies.

Step 6: Whaikōrero and Waiata

Formal speeches (whaikōrero) begin. The speaking order follows the local kawa — either tau utuutu (alternating between hosts and visitors) or pāeke (all hosts first, then all visitors). The final visiting speaker presents the group's koha, laying the envelope on the ground during the waiata tautoko.

While speeches are in progress:

• Do not cross the open floor space between the speakers
• Do not exit the wharenui
• Do not whisper or check your phone

Step 7: The Harirū and Hongi

After the speeches and waiata conclude, the hosts invite the visitors to stand and form a line for the greeting. Each person shakes hands (harirū) and presses noses and foreheads together gently, twice (hongi). This is the sharing of the breath of life (te hā o te ora). Move slowly and deliberately. If you are not comfortable with the hongi, a firm handshake and a slight bow of the head is acceptable.

After the greeting, the formal pōwhiri is complete. Visitors are now part of the tangihanga and can move between the wharenui and wharekai freely.

Step 8: Kai in the Wharekai

The hosts will invite the visiting group to the wharekai (dining hall) for food. A karakia (prayer) is said before the meal. This is an act of manaakitanga — the unconditional hospitality of the marae. Accept the food. Eat with the group. This shared meal transitions the visitors from the tapu of the pōwhiri to the noa of communal belonging.

Our Māori Tangihanga Guide walks through every stage of the pōwhiri in detail, including tribal variations, seating configurations, and the questions to ask the marae committee before you arrive — so you can step onto the marae ātea with confidence rather than anxiety.