Haka in popular culture


The haka is a traditional Māori dance form. The use of haka in popular culture is a growing phenomenon, originally from New Zealand. Traditionally, haka were used only in Māori cultural contexts, but today haka are used in a wide range of public occasions.

An animation of an amateur New Zealand rugby team performing the Haka in Trafalgar Square in London, England

New Zealand sports teams

For over 100 years the All Blacks have had a tradition of performing a haka before games. This has become the most widely known use of the haka, but several other New Zealand sports teams now perform the haka before commencing a game. These include rugby league (the Kiwis),[1] basketball (Tall Blacks),[2] and wheelchair rugby (Wheel Blacks).[3]

In addition to this planned, formalised usage, teams and supporters now often perform impromptu haka as a celebration or encouragement.[4] At the Sydney Olympics in 2000 these uses of the haka were numerous enough to draw some negative comment.[5][6]

Use by non-New Zealand sports teams
Main article: Haka performed by non-New Zealand sports teams

A number of sports teams outside of New Zealand have adopted the haka, most notably the American football teams of Brigham Young University, University of Hawaii and Trinity High School in Euless, Texas as well as the Highland Rugby Team. Both the Coventry Jets and the London Olympians, British American Football teams, have, on occasions, performed the haka before their games. Both squads have had a large number of Polynesian players over the past 5 years.

Military

The haka is also performed by members of the New Zealand Defence Force as a show of solidarity such as during funerals of fallen comrades.[7] All three services have their own haka. The New Zealand Army has a haka composed specifically for them called Tu Taua a Tumatauenga.

Flashmob haka craze of 2011

In the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in 2011, flashmob hakas became a popular way of expressing support for the All Blacks. Some Maori leaders thought it was "inappropriate" and a "bastardisation" of the traditional war cry,[8] despite its popularity. Sizeable flashmob hakas were performed in Wellington[9] and Auckland,[10] as well as London, which has a large Kiwi expat community.[11]

In November 2012, a Maori kapa haka group from Rotorua performed a version of the "Gangnam Style" dance mixed with a traditional Maori haka in Seoul, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and New Zealand.[12]

See also

References
  1. Burgess, Michael (31 October 2018). "Rugby League: Kiwis perform haka for Liverpool football players". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  2. "New Zealand haka war dance bewilders USA basketball team". The Guardian. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  3. Palmer, Curtis (September 11, 2008). "Time heals". OneSport. Retrieved 2008-09-16. September 5: Haka and honours
  4. "Sports Leaders of the year: Moss Burmester". The New Zealand Herald. 9 December 2006. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  5. Eves, Tim (18 March 2006). "Now it's a new haka for every sport". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  6. "Kiwis deny overdoing haka at Games". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. "Soldiers' farewell haka footage goes viral". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2012.
  8. "Maori leaders at odds over flash mob haka". 3 News NZ. September 20, 2011.
  9. "Wellington haka attracts hundreds". 3 News NZ. September 8, 2011.
  10. "Flash mob haka on Auckland's Queen Street ahead of RWC opener All Blacks vs Tonga". 3 News NZ. September 9, 2011.
  11. "Flashmob haka takes over Trafalgar Square". 3 News NZ. November 19, 2011.
  12. "Maori take on Gangnam Style in Korea". 3 News NZ. November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
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