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| Maori hongi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hongi |
| Caption | Traditional greeting |
| Type | Ritual greeting |
| Region | Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Participants | Māori iwi and hapū |
Maori hongi The hongi is a traditional Māori greeting involving the pressing of noses and sometimes foreheads, performed by tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand and observed in interactions with manuhiri. It functions as an exchange of breath and a mark of whakawhanaungatanga, used in many public and private ceremonies and recognized in diplomatic and cultural exchanges.
The word derives from te reo Māori and is associated with concepts of hau and wairua; comparable lexical studies appear alongside research on kapa haka, karakia, and tikanga in linguistic surveys. The term appears in ethnographic works by Elsdon Best and in comparative analyses alongside Polynesian practices recorded by James Cook, Joseph Banks, and ethnologists at the British Museum and Cambridge University. Legal codifications in colonial records such as the Treaty of Waitangi debates and parliamentary proceedings sometimes reference the hongi when discussing tino rangatiratanga and mana. Anthropological discussions link the term with kaupapa Māori, manaakitanga, and marae-based protocols documented by Te Rauparaha descendants, Whina Cooper, and Ranginui Walker.
Origins trace to Polynesian voyaging traditions preserved in waka narratives like those of Tainui, Te Arawa, and Mataatua, and in oral histories associated with Kupe and Ngātoroirangi. Missionary journals from Samuel Marsden and William Colenso record early encounters that mention nose-to-nose greetings among Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, and Waikato peoples. Colonial-era accounts by Richard Taylor and Alfred Brown contrast Māori protocols with British court etiquette, and nineteenth-century exchanges at Waitangi and Pōneke involved hongi between rangatira such as Hone Heke, Hōne Heke, and Governor William Hobson. Twentieth-century leaders including Tā Apirana Ngata, Sir Āpirana Ngata, and Dame Whina Cooper used the hongi in pan-tribal hui, while contemporary treaty settlements negotiated by Sir Tipene O'Regan and Chris Finlayson incorporate protocols referencing traditional greetings.
Practice varies among iwi and hapū: some groups press noses only, others include a forehead touch, and variations appear during pōwhiri on marae at Rotorua, Te Urewera, and the Hokianga. Protocol differences are noted between Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Tūhoe, and during events such as tangihanga, hui, hui-a-tangata, and kapa haka festivals at Te Matatini. Guides from museums like Te Papa Tongarewa and the Auckland War Memorial Museum document procedures observed at wharenui and whare tupuna alongside protocols used by Governor-General and visiting heads of state during pōwhiri at Parliament and Government House. Diplomatic instances involving figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Barack Obama, and Jacinda Ardern were staged with consultation from kaumātua and iwi representatives.
Symbolically, the hongi transmits hau and joins wairua, asserting whakapapa links among participants and marking manaakitanga and rangatiratanga in ceremonial contexts. Protocols dictate the order of pōwhiri, the role of kaumātua, kuia, kaikorero, and how the hongi fits within mihimihi, karanga, haka, and mōteatea performances. Institutions such as the Waitangi Tribunal, marae trusts, and iwi authorities like Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Waikato-Tainui often advise on appropriate use during treaty commemorations and cultural protocols at venues like Ōrākei and Parihaka. The hongi is governed by customary law interpreted by kaumātua and legal scholars in contexts involving tikanga, and has been referenced in coronation and investiture ceremonies involving recipients of the New Zealand Order of Merit and other honours.
Revival efforts by cultural organisations such as Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Ngāi Tahu, and Māori Language Commission coincide with broader kaupapa Māori movements, Māori renaissance initiatives led by figures like Dame Whina Cooper, Hirini Moko Mead, and Moana Jackson. Educational programmes in kura kaupapa Māori, universities including the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington, and cultural events at Ōtautahi Christchurch and Wellington showcase hongi practice. Tourism operators in Rotorua and Te Puia incorporate hongi into pōwhiri experiences under guidance from iwi, while controversies have arisen when institutions like airlines, sporting bodies such as New Zealand Rugby, and event organisers stage hongi without iwi consultation. Health advisories during outbreaks (for example influenza responses and COVID-19 guidance from the Ministry of Health) prompted debate about hongi practice and adaptations endorsed by local rūnanga.
The hongi features in visual arts by artists such as Gottfried Lindauer and Charles Goldie, in film portrayals in productions by Merata Mita and Taika Waititi, and in documentaries produced by Television New Zealand and Māori Television. Literature by Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Hone Tuwhare, and Keri Hulme includes scenes invoking hongi within narratives tied to whakapapa, and performing arts companies like Te Kāhui Tuhorotanga and kapa haka groups have staged the gesture at Te Matatini and international festivals. Exhibitions at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Auckland Art Gallery, and international displays in London and Sydney have interpreted the hongi alongside taonga such as hei tiki, korowai, and pounamu, while news coverage in The New Zealand Herald, RNZ, and Stuff has documented diplomatic and cultural moments involving the greeting.