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New Zealand MPs who performed haka in parliament given unprecedented punishment
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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I don't know about other commenters, but I'm absolutely not uninformed, and this was in no way out of line given the context.
Hakas have evolved from traditional war dances and are often performed at sports events, that's true, but the Ka Mate is also performed in many other contexts (including at funerals and after separation of families) and should not be boiled down to simple intimidation – it's more a show of resolve. Do you think groups of people meeting after a long absence are trying to threaten one another or that mourners are trying to intimidate the deceased? The meaning has nuance and is not a simple threat; it's about the will to overcome adversity, and is basically the national anthem of the Māori's iwi, which was fought for in this very Parliament, and which resulted in the Haka (Ka Mate) Attribution Act after colonisation. I honestly cannot think of a more fitting time and place to perform it than in this context.
If you've only seen it in a sports context, I can see how you might think it's simply a modernised war dance meant to intimidate an opposing group, but that's a very reductionist view of it.
From newzealand.com:
You can read the origin of the Ka Mate from New Zealand Geographic – this is not a story of war and intimidation, but of perseverence and the will to overcome.
And here's a fantastic breakdown on the meaning and how to perform it from the Australian International School (AIS).
Ka Mate shouldn't be viewed as an intimidation tactic that's morphed from war to sports, but as a deeply cultural story that absolutely has a place in New Zealand Parliament, and some overstuffed colonists being offended is disdainful at best.
e: oh, I also meant to mention that, even long ago, haka weren't meant to be simply war dances to intimidate and threaten in preparation for battle but, ideally, to head off the need for battle in the first place. A well-performed haka was in stead of battle, not just in preparation for one. The point was to not have to fight, but to impress and come to agreement. That's nearly the opposite of what many people think these dances were for.