Te Papa Marae #2

The meeting house is the focal point of a marae. Traditional meeting houses have carvings and weaving panels inside telling the story of the ancestors. The glass wall is what faces the meeting house at Te Papa and outside on the sculpture terrace is this gate. It signifies the entrance to the marae. It's kept locked for safety reasons but on special occasions like when the Lord of the Rings cast were here for things its opened and the visitors are formally called onto the marae. A female calls to them and a female in their group answers. It's pretty high pitched keening stuff. If you want to see more watch Whale Rider. Another great but very violent film showing slices of maori culture is Once Were Warriors. I cannot recommend these movies enough.