Whaikōrero - speech making.

Whaikōrero is the art of formal speech making. Whaikōrero is generally made by men and is an activity of Māori elders on the marae during the pōwhiri process. Skilled orators are able to build the mana of their people, they are able to entertain and warm the hearts of their manuhiri with the eloquence and imagery of their words.

Today whaikōrero can be done in many places for gatherings, meetings or social events. Some iwi have women who whaikōrero. The whaikōrero gives the speaker the opportunity to use their skills in Te Reo Māori , to pay tribute to their ancestors, to address issues, to educate, and to pass on knowledge.

While there are variations in format generally there is a common pattern:

Tauparapara (ritual chant)
Mihi ki te whare tupuna (acknowledgement of the ancestral house)
Mihi ki a Papatūānuku (acknowledgement of Mother Earth)
Mihi ki te hunga mate (acknowledgement of the dead)
Mihi ki te hunga ora (acknowledgement of the living)
Te take o te hui (purpose of the meeting)
Waiata (song)

Protocols determining the order of speakers vary between iwi (tribe) and hapū (sub-tribe). There are two types of speaking order for the delivery of whaikōrero used by different tribes: tau-utuutu and pāeke:

  • Tau-utuutu is when the speaking order alternates. It begins with a local speaker, followed by a visiting speaker, another local speaker and so on. The last speaker is from the tangata whenua.
  • Pāeke, where all but one of the host speakers speak first. Then the right of speech is handed to the visitors. A final speaker from the hosts completes the whaikōrero phase of the pōwhiri. http://www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/protocols/whaikorero.html

 

This page lists a selection of resources relating to whaikōrero and the tradition of Maori formal speech making.

Manukau Libraries has a Māori collection in each of its libraries, with the most extensive collection held at the South Auckland Research Centre.

All resources are available from Auckland Libraries.

 

back to top

Resources­­­­­­­

 

back to top

 

© Manukau City Council
newzealand.govt.nz - connecting you to New Zealand central & local government services