Speaking: greeting the right group at a pōwhiri
A Year 12 student is chosen to give a 2-minute mihi whakatau at a pōwhiri. The visitors are 28 students and 4 teachers from a sister school. The tangata whenua group includes 3 kaumātua and about 15 whānau members. The student has drafted: 'Tēnā koe e te rangatira. Kia ora whānau. Ko Tāne tōku ingoa. Nō Te Kura o te Awa au. Ka nui taku mihi ki a koutou. Chur, kia kaha.' The teacher says the draft has the right ideas but the register and pronouns need work. The student has 30 minutes to revise and must speak without reading word-for-word. They want to sound warm and confident, not stiff, and they are worried about using the wrong greeting for the group. The marae is Ngāti Porou, and the student is from Tainui. They must acknowledge both groups and stay within two minutes.
1. Which greeting should be used for the tangata whenua group, and why? Rewrite the opening line so it fits the formal purpose.
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Use 'Tēnā koutou' for the tangata whenua because there are more than two people - three kaumātua plus whānau. 'Tēnā koe' is singular; 'Tēnā kōrua' is for two. 'E te rangatira' also singles out one leader and may overlook the group. A safer opening is: 'Tēnā koutou e ngā rangatira, e te whānau o te marae.' 'Kia ora whānau' is not wrong in casual speech, but in a pōwhiri it is less formal than 'Tēnā koutou'. The final line can use 'Tēnā tātou katoa' to include everyone. The greeting should match the number of people addressed and the formal purpose.
2. The student wants to include the kīwaha 'chur' to connect with the visiting students. Advise them, giving a reason based on the purpose of a mihi whakatau.
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I would advise against 'chur'. A mihi whakatau is a formal welcome; the purpose is to acknowledge tangata whenua, manuhiri, and the relationships between them. 'Chur' is English slang and can sound jarring in that setting, even if the student's intention is warmth. Warmth can come from tone, eye contact, and phrases such as 'Ka nui taku mihi ki a koutou' or 'Tēnā koutou katoa'. If the student wants a Māori idiom, it should be one they understand and can deliver naturally; forced slang can undermine confidence. With a 2-minute limit, clarity and respect matter more than a joke.
3. How should the student acknowledge both tangata whenua and manuhiri in the final sentence? Give an example and explain the pronouns.
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Use a final line that separates the two groups: 'Nō reira, tēnā koutou e te whānau o te marae, tēnā tātou katoa.' 'Koutou' acknowledges the tangata whenua as the group addressed; 'tātou' includes the speaker and the manuhiri with them. Alternatively, the triple 'Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa' works because the first two are directed to the hosts and the last embraces everyone. Avoid 'tēnā koe' at the end because it would reduce the whole group to one person and weaken the acknowledgement.