An explanation of the Wero, or challenge that is stage 3 of the pohiri.
Wero literally means - ´to cast a spear´
and the purpose of the wero was to find out whether
the manuhiri came in peace or in war. The wero is always issued by a tane,
who should be the best in weapons, as the mana of the
marae rests on his shoulders.
The taki is the name given to the challenge dart, which is
placed before the manuhiri. It can be a twig, a
carved dart or a weapon. If the taki is a weapon, the
person picking it up must be careful not to pick it up by the handle as this
would indicate war-like intentions to the tangata
whenua. Since Tohu and Te
Whiti, the Taranaki people usually put down
the Raukura, the white feather that is a symbol of
peace. A wero may be issued to a wahine of rank but the taki must
always be picked up by a tane of her party.
On a full ceremonial occasion, there a three challenges, the first is
the Rakau Whakaara (warning challenger), the
second is the Rakau Takoto and the third is
the Rakau Whakawaha. Those that have been
chosen to do the wero for their marae or their people, should be well versed in the
implications of the wero before they ever take part
in one. The full significance of the wero stems from
the traditional need of the marae to determine the
intent of their manuhiri. This was done without any
physical contact between the tangata whenua and the
manuhiri, but it was done through a spiritual
awareness of the actions of people and their responses.
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