The Marae-based Hui: Intensive induction to cross-cultural counselling,a New Zealand experiment

A three-day residential Hui or gathering was held for counsellor trainees in the Maori tribal village, the Marae. Its aim was to provide an induction to Maori culture and Marae protocol, to challenge trainee assumptions and their professional role image, and to integrate their group at the outset of the training course. Trainees learned protocol through personal participation, received presentations on selected topics, carried out field visits, and discussed the implications of their experience. Questionnaire responses and observations indicate a marked increase in knowledge, beginning protocol competence, attitude development, and a specification of further training goals. The rationale for this kind of intensive induction experience must be validated by comparative studies, and by its integration with subsequent training activities.