Mere: Kia ora Tama, kua tae mai koe mō te hui?Hi Tama, have you arrived for the meeting?
Tama: Āe, kua tae mai au. He aha te mea tuatahi me mahi?Yes, I have. What’s the first thing we should do?
Mere: Me tango hū i mua i te kuhu ki te whare.Take off your shoes before entering the building.
Tama: Āe rā, he tohu whakaute tēnā, nē rā?Oh right, that’s a sign of respect, isn’t it?
Mere: Āe. Ko tētahi tikanga nui tērā.Yes. That’s an important custom.
Tama: Ka pai. Me karakia mātou i mua i te kai hoki?Okay. Do we also say a prayer before eating?
Mere: Āe, me mihi ki te Atua me te kai i mua i te kai.Yes, we give thanks to God and the food before we eat.
Tama: Ātaahua tērā. He aha te tikanga o te manaakitanga?That’s beautiful. What does manaakitanga mean?
Mere: Ko te manaakitanga, ko te atawhai me te tiaki i ētahi atu.Manaakitanga is about kindness and caring for others.
Tama: Ka mau te wehi! Ka ako tonu au i ēnei tikanga katoa.Awesome! I’m going to keep learning all these customs.
Mere: Tino pai, Tama. Mā te ako koe e hono atu ki te wairua o te marae.Excellent, Tama. Learning connects you to the spirit of the marae.