Speaking: a two-minute mihi and a private grief
A Year 13 ākonga has been chosen to give the mihi whakatau for a visiting school: 42 students, three teachers and one kaumātua, who have travelled two and a half hours. The pōwhiri starts at 9.10 am and the student has a strict two-minute limit because the wharenui is booked for a hui at 9.30. The student has prepared a mihi that acknowledges the manuhiri, the local maunga and awa, and the recent opening of a new classroom. The student has also learned, through a cousin, that one of the visiting students lost her father two weeks ago; the visiting school has not mentioned this. The student wonders whether to add a mihi aroha. Adding it would take about 25 seconds, meaning cutting the classroom section. There is also a question of whether to say 'tō mātou kura' or 'tō tātou kura' when referring to the host school, and whether 'tēnā koutou' is enough for a group that includes a kaumātua.
1. Should the student include a mihi aroha for the visiting student's father? Give a recommendation and the reasoning, including the effect on the two-minute limit.
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The safer recommendation is not to name the death publicly in the mihi whakatau. The information came second-hand through a cousin, and the family has not consented to it being raised. A public condolence can breach privacy and put the visiting student and her school in an awkward position. Manaakitanga can still be expressed through a general acknowledgment of those who have passed, without identifying anyone.
The time limit matters: 25 seconds is about one-fifth of a two-minute mihi. If a condolence is included, the classroom-opening section is the least essential part and should be cut. But the better move is to keep the two minutes and speak privately to the visiting teacher after the pōwhiri. Local kawa should also be checked: if a kaumātua is present, the student should ask them beforehand rather than deciding alone.
2. Choose between 'tō mātou kura' and 'tō tātou kura' for the host school, and explain the pronoun logic in the context of the pōwhiri.
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Use 'tō mātou kura' when the student is addressing the manuhiri and referring to the host school. Mātou excludes the person or group being addressed, which is correct because the visitors are not members of the host school. 'Tō tātou kura' would include the visitors, implying that they belong to the host school, which is not true here.
The test is whether the audience is inside the group. If the student later says something like 'tā tātou mahi' - our work together - tātou is correct because the visitors are included in the shared activity. Do not switch between the two without a change in reference. The examiner is likely to check consistency, not just one correct pronoun.
3. Is 'tēnā koutou' sufficient for a group that includes a kaumātua, or should the student use 'tēnā koe e te rangatira'? Justify your choice.
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'Tēnā koutou' is generally sufficient and safe for a mixed group because it acknowledges the collective. A separate 'tēnā koe e te rangatira' can add respect for the kaumātua, but it must be placed correctly and should not single out one person in a way that causes embarrassment.
If local kawa expects a specific acknowledgment of the kaumātua, the student could greet the kaumātua first, then greet the whole group with 'tēnā koutou'. The decision depends on the marae, so the student should ask beforehand. What is not safe is using 'tēnā koe' to the whole group, which misreads the number of addressees. Either choice can be defended if it is consistent with the kawa and with the rest of the mihi.