The rewritten haka the Hurricanes Poua used in their season opener that called out the government as “redneck” is joining the ranks of famous protest haka.
Perhaps the best-known one is the Prohibition Haka, ‘Poropeihana’ challenging Sir Apriana Ngata and his two-year prohibition on alcohol in the East Coast. The words in the haka degrade Ngata’s mana and call him names like, ‘Purari paka, kaura mōkai e!’ Bloody bugger, lowlife coward!
On Saturday the players in the Hurricanes Poua rewrote the start of their haka, including the phrase “karetao o te Kāwana kakī whero” or “puppets of this redneck government”.
Another well-known protest haka came with Te Iti Kahurangi in 2015 calling out Whakaata Māori and its publishing of stories that at the time seemed to belittle Māori. A line in the haka suggested that Whakaata Māori wasn’t living up to their values and motto that echoes through the media landscape.
‘Kīa mai nei koe, nā tātou! Kīa mai nei koe, mā tātou! Kīa mai nei koe, mō tātou! E hawa, e hawa!’ ‘You say that you are about us, for us, by us! Rubbish!’
Te Pāti Māori MP and kaitātaki tāne for Tamatea Arikinui kapa haka, Tākuta Ferris says he supports the Hurricanes Poua and their stand for what they believe in.
“Ki a au he pai, he pai te mahi a te hunga, a te kapa wāhine rā, te kawe i ngā kaupapa nunui o Te Ao Māori ki runqa ki te atamira o te motu. Me te mea ake nei, ehara i te mea, e taea, e āhei ana rānei e te ao pākehā te kapo ake i ngā mea o Te Ao Māori e pai ana ki a rātou me te whakamahi ki tā rātou i pai ai.”
“I think it’s good what these women in this team are doing, putting important Māori issues on a mainstream platform. Also, Pākehā can’t just pick and choose what they want from Te Ao Māori and use it as they see fit.”
Ferris says even though mixing sports and politics may not be appropriate at times, when it comes to haka, Māori should stand as a united front.
“The wāhine took a stand and that’s the key mechanism of haka. Te Ao Māori needs to stand strong in this stance.
“And at the end of the day if te iwi Pākehā and New Zealand whānui don’t want haka, that’s what the consideration should be,” he says.
Politicians were on the firing line of the Poua haka for their actions towards Māori in recent months, such as the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill and more.
Act leader David Seymour and New Zealand First’s Shane Jones believe the Poua team should focus more on the game and less on the political climate of the country.
“All it shows is the Hurricanes Poua know nothing about the colour of my neck and, sadly, they seem to know nothing about scoring tries and winning right now. My pledge to them is they need to spend more time practising their moves and less time calling me names and less time on their haka in politics,” Seymour says.
Play the ball, not the politician
Jones says: “I was disappointed that our young women would politicise that haka. There’s a time and place and they should focus on tackling and winning the game, not trying to score political points.”
Former rugby lague player and kapa haka performer Wairangi Koopu says haka has a place in sport and it should be open for players to express themselves.
“Kāre he atamira i tua atu i tērā mō ngā kaihākinakina, ngā kaitākaro whutupōro. Mā te aha i te tuku i ō rātou nei whakaaro i roto i tērā āhuatanga, he uaua rā anō mā ētahi o rātou ki te kōrero wiki mai, wiki atu mō ērā tūāhuatanga. Nō reira waiho mā te tikanga māori, mā te haka e whakaputa i ērā whakaaro. Nō reira i runga i ērā whakaaro, e tū ana ahau, e whakaute ana ahau i ngā mahi [a] ngā wāhine nei.”
“There is no greater platform than that for sportspeople, for rugby players. What better way is there for them to speak their mind in that context, because it can be rather difficult for some of them to have to deal with issues like these, every week. So, let Māori customs and haka express those thoughts. For that reason, I stand and I give respect to these women for what they are doing.”
Koopu admits those on the receiving end may see the comment as racist but notes the point of the haka is not to portray racist opinions or belittle.
“He take tō ērā kupu hai whakahikohiko i te tangata e whakarongo ana, e mātakitaki ana. I te mea, e mōhio nei tātou te Māori mō ngā āhuatanga o te kaikiri. Ki te whakaputa i ēnei wāhine i ērā kōrero, ehara i te mea he kaikiri ki a tātou, he kaikiri ki te āhua, ki te wairua o te pākehā.”
“There is a reason for those words, to alert those who are listening and watching. We as Māori know what racism is. These women expressing themselves, it’s not to be racist to anyone, but it might come off that way to Pākehā,” he says.