A Mihi Whakatau is a kind of formal greeting. It introduces oneself to visitors as well as welcoming visitors.
The mihi whakatau begins with stating where everyone is currently situated. In the case of the example below, the speaker is situated where the nearest mountain (maunga) is Maungarei and the nearest river (awa) is Tamaki. The local people (iwi) that historically own the land where the school is, are called Ngati Paoa.
After stating the current location, the speaker introduces themselves by saying how they are to be addressed, where their ancestry is from and how they came to be here. The example shows that the speaker's family name is Wong. Mr Wong's ancestry is from Guangdong in China, but his family came to live in Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau).
Lastly the mihi whakatau formally welcomes visitors to the current location.
Mihi whakatau are a formal greeting that can be used when a full pōwhiri is not necessary or too long for the circumstance.
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