Karakia

Karakia are Māori incantations and prayers, used to invoke spiritual guidance and protection. Karakia are generally used to increase the spiritual goodwill of a gathering, so as to increase the likelihood of a favourable outcome. They are also considered a formal greeting when beginning a ceremony.

Wikipedia

Karakia are often used in the following situations:

1. Start a meeting (karakia timatanga)
2. Close a meeting (karakia whakamutunga)
3. Bless food (karakia mō te kai)

You can read more about karakia, and see some examples, on the University of Otago website (click here).

Birchwood School aim to learn and use the following karakia:
Aroha mai- I've tried to load videos so you can hear how these are said, but blogger is giving me problems. I'll keep trying! If you know how I can put a sound file into blogger, so I don't need to use videos each time, please let me know!
Damian 
  1. Karakia Timatanga.

Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina ki uta
Kia mātaratara ki tai
E hī ake ana te atakura
He tio, he huka, he hau hū
Tīhei mauri ora!

Cease the winds from the west
Cease the winds from the south
Let the breeze blow over the land
Let the breeze blow over the ocean
Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air.
A touch of frost, a promise of a glorious day.

2. Karakia Whakamutunga

Kua mutu o mātou mahi
Mō tēnei wā
Manaakitia mai mātou katoa
O mātou hoa
O mātou whānau
Aio ki to aorangi

Our work has finished
for the moment
Bless us all
Our friends 
Our families
Peace to the universe 

3. Karakia mō te kai

E whakawhetai ana mo ēnai kai

E whakawhetai ana no o mātou hoa

We are thankful for the food we share

And thankful that our friends are here

4. He Honore he kororia.
This waiata is fairly well known across Aotearoa.

But what are we saying? A translation is offered below:

He hōnore, he korōria Maungārongo ki te whenua Whakaaro pai e Kingā tangata katoa Ake ake, ake ake Āmine Te Atua, te piringa, Toku oranga

Honour, glory and peace to the land May good thoughts come to all men for ever and ever, for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord is the refuge and my life.