Family members are individuals who give us life; who cradle us, watch us grow, and then set us free to continue to reach our own perception of greatness. They feed us when we are hungry. They shelter us when we need a roof over our head. They shape us to appreciate laughter, to treasure moments, and to embrace each other. They coach us to believe that we are beautiful, and strong.

This weekend, I added to my family. I stemmed a new branch on my family tree that I know will root itself deep into my future, as it has created a new lens of viewing my past. I participated in what has become a tradition here at Auckland University of Technology, the Noho Marae weekend for international students. I, along with about 50 other international students from countries such as Denmark, Norway, Germany, Singapore, and Spain, gathered together for a weekend full of workshops, activities, and lots of eating. We experienced Maori Culture not through a textbook, or the internet, or a museum, but from a group of incredible individuals that dedicate their time, rather their lives, to supporting their culture, promoting their being, and spreading Maori Traditions. The Maori people who hosted us this weekend ranged from babies, to elderly men. We were taught love songs by 10 year olds, the Poi dance by mothers, and a stick game by our class professor for Maori studies. People floated in and out of the community, as if it were their home.

In America, we shake hands when we greet someone. We are judged on the stiffness of our shake: the strength of our physical presence. In Maori culture, greeting is soft. It’s an intimate nose touch with a light touch to the shoulder followed by a light kiss on the cheek by only the girls. It’s in this way we were greeted at the Marae and inducted into the Maori Whanau “family.” It’s in this way that I will also remember the experience. The weekend was a sensation of warmth, a feeling of unity and connection, and a mesh of feeling full, laughing hard, and creating memories.

I feel like any blog post I write won’t be truly satisfying for this event only because there was so much that made me think, so much that made me feel, and so much that I want to take back and incorporate into my career as a teacher. Instead, I want to honor this weekend with a song I wrote. i figured this is appropriate after all the singing we did throughout the course of the three days . . .

Sing a Little More:

When there’s nothing but your forehead to lean on, I’ve found you

When there’s nothing but your sisters who get, what you’ve gone through

It’s the memories we carry- the shifting of our ways

It’s the language which means more than- the words which we embrace

Undo your laces, pick up your toes, and we’ll go, to our version of home

It’s something in the moments, we’ll never fall from flight

It’s something in our voices, which could conquer any fight

It’s the power of the Haka, or grace of which we Poi

Eat up, stay up, sing a little more

There’s nothing like a sway and some linked arms, to feel like you’re one

There’s nothing like a formal game of stick toss, to have a little fun

It’s the memories we carry- we’re united now for life

Looking towards the future- our Whanau only grows

Undo your laces, pick up your toes, and we’ll go, to our version of home

It’s something in the moments, we’ll never fall from flight

It’s something in our voices, which could conquer any fight

It’s the power of the Haka, or grace of which we Poi

Eat up, stay up, sing a little more