A karanga (''call out, summon'') is an element of cultural protocol of the

Māori people Māori () are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of Māori migration canoes, c ...

of New Zealand. It is an exchange of calls that forms part of the

pōwhiri A pōwhiri (also called a pōhiri or pōwiri in some dialects) is a formal Māori culture, Māori welcoming ceremony onto a marae, involving speeches, cultural performance, singing and finally the ''hongi''. Traditionally, the was a way by whi ...

, a Māori welcoming ceremony. It takes place as a visiting group moves onto the

marae A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...

or into the formal meeting area. Karanga are carried out almost exclusively by women and in Māori language, and are initiated by the

tangata whenua In New Zealand, tangata whenua () is a Māori term that translates to "people of the land". It can refer to either a specific group of people with historical claims to a district, or more broadly the Māori people who's common ancestors are bur ...

or hosts, and responded to by the visitors. Karanga follow a particular format in keeping with protocol. This includes exchanging greetings, paying tribute to the dead (especially those who have most recently died), and referring to the reason for the groups' coming together. It has an important function in building connections between tangata whenua and manuhiri (guests), and setting the agenda for the gathering.

The karanga continuously strengthens the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms... ( Hinematua McNeill and Sandy Hata, 2013)

See also