Chris Bailey ,Israel Tangaroa Birch,Anton Forde,Anton Forde & Shiree Reihana,Dorothy Waetford,Robert Jahnke - Haka

HAKA


What is Haka? One of the most familiar but perhaps misunderstood aspects of Māori culture.

In 1642, the first European record of a haka was documented by Abel Tasman’s crew. [1] Māori in Mohua (Golden Bay) performed a wero on the shoreline as part of a ceremonial encounter. Tasman’s crew did not understand its cultural meaning, recording it only as gestures and shouting.

Haka first reached international audiences in 1888, when the New Zealand Native Rugby Team performed Ka Mate during a tour. This performance marked a significant cultural moment, introducing Māori war dance to the world. Responses varied, blending curiosity, admiration, and misunderstanding. [2] Despite initial mixed reactions, haka became an enduring symbol of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. The 1888 tour laid the foundation for its integration into New Zealand rugby, eventually becoming a pre-match ritual for the All Blacks and a defining aspect of national sporting identity. [3]

In 2011, the All Blacks performed Ka Mate in front of a full stadium and a global television audience, setting the stage for a dramatic 8–7 victory and New Zealand’s first Rugby World Cup win in 24 years. This performance underscored haka as more than a pre-match ritual—it was a declaration of national identity and cultural pride, amplified by the crowd’s roar and international attention.

In November 2024, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest-ever Member of Parliament at 21, led a haka in Parliament to protest the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. During the first reading of the bill, she tore the legislation in half and performed Ka Mate as an act of defiance. The Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, suspended Parliament for 20 minutes and issued Maipi-Clarke a 24-hour suspension. The protest sparked national debate and international attention, with the video amassing hundreds of millions of views.

Following a Privileges Committee hearing in June 2025, Maipi-Clarke, alongside Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, received further suspensions — the harshest penalties ever imposed on New Zealand parliamentarians. Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days, while Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer were suspended for 21 days each. [4] Her protest highlighted the ongoing struggle for Māori rights and the importance of cultural expression in political discourse, inspiring a nationwide hīkoi (peaceful protest) and contributing to the eventual defeat of the bill in April 2025. [5]

383 years have passed since the haka was first misunderstood on the shores of Golden Bay.

How far have we come in our understanding?

Valance Smith [6] cites a quote attributed to Henare Teowai who said:

‘Kia kōrero te katoa o te tinana – the whole body should speak.’

Haka takes on various forms, but each delivers a message. Through its words and accompanying actions, they can celebrate, protest, lament, challenge and bring people together. Each haka is an expression of the individual and a collective. They are core to the identity of Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand.

References

[1] Abel Janszoon Tasman’s Journal, 1642–1643, translated by J.E. Heeres (1898), The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.

Tasman’s entry for 19 December 1642 describes Māori performing gestures and calls from canoes—now understood as a haka.

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand: “First encounters between Māori and Europeans.” https://teara.govt.nz/en/first-encounters-between-maori-and-europeans

[2] rugbyheartland.co.nz

[3] Legacy and Continued Tradition: allblacks.com

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/15/new-zealand-mps-haka-parliament-suspended

[5] https://apnews.com/article/41454ca84aef1a52feb3f2f0d03aa856

[6] Smith, V. (2016). He iti te matakahi: Haka and Identity. Master’s thesis, Auckland University of Technology (AUT).