Māori Haka

Shifting Emphasis on the Value of Performance

Abstract

Māori haka is widely known as a war dance or a war cry, partly because of how it is performed by the All Blacks, the national rugby team of New Zealand, before each game of rugby. This paper examined how haka is and was presented to the public in the past and present. During World Wars I and II, the haka performance was designed to convey the message that “Māori is the warrior” to encourage Māori to serve as soldiers, so they could gain equal rights as mainstream New Zealanders or Pākehā. After World War II, Māori people started indigenous movements that allowed Māori people to realise or reaffirm that the words of the haka and the history of the haka are significant. Therefore, these days, Māori people have a tendency to criticise non-Māori performing haka because they believe non-Māori do not appropriately represent Māori tribal history and ancestors. In this way, we can observe the shift of emphasis on the value of performing haka from one of display of masculinity to one of cultural importance.