Te Po`aki Kiriti Maro Tai

`Traditional Acceptance Ceremony

Kiriti Maro tai.png

In the early day`s on Araura, when visitors arrived by canoe at the main harbor at they were accepted with a traditional welcoming known as the “stripping of being a visitor”. The visiting canoe along with their leader(s) would be directed by the sub-chief, Te-Pare-o-Nga-Ariki of Avarua i Orongo, to step onto a special rock symbolising that from that moment on, they are stripped of their visiting garment and replaced with a new garment. They will then enjoy the hospitality of the island with conditions that they are on a friendly trip. This ceremony will only be conducted by sub-chiefs within that village where the ports are located.

Today people travel mainly by plane where the airport is located in Amuri (Te-upoko-enua). Now the sub-chiefs of Amuri, conducts all welcoming ceremonies to visitors as per traditional welcoming. It is told that there is also a similar rock placed at the entrance of the airport terminal for this same purpose.

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I te tuātau mua i Araura nei, me `āriki ia te tere o teta`i vaka tangata, ka rave ia teta`i `ākono`anga no rātou, tei karanga ia e ko te “kiriti marotai”. Ka apaina ia te vaka tangata e to rātou Rangatira kia taka`i ki runga i teia po`aki. I te reira taime ka kiriti ia tō rātou maro taito me kore piro, e ka `akatāru ia rātou ki te maro `ou. Na Te-Pare-o-Nga-Ariki Mataiapo o te Avarua i Orongo e rave i teia tu`anga.

I muri mai kua tieni te tere`anga mai o te tangata, kua nā runga mai i te pairere. Na te au Mataiapo o Amuri (Te-`Ūpoko-`Enua), e rave ana i te tuoro`anga manu`iri e te `ākono`anga o te kiriti marotai. Te vai ra teta`i poaki kiriti marotai i ko te ngai tō `anga pa`irere iakoe e tomo mai ra i te are tapae`anga o te au taeake.