Welcoming Visitors

Photo Courtesy Tamaki Maori Village, Rotorua

Performing the Haka to welcome visitors to Tamaki Maori Village

Rotorua

May 2010, AJR

Dance Festival

Images supplied by the Body Festival 2009.

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about kapa haka and the Maori poi dance, the 2009 Body Festival offers the perfect chance to get up close and personal. Staged in Christchurch, the festival opened yesterday and runs until October 11. Tucked in between the many outstanding dance performances across all dance genres, is a comprehensive series of workshops designed to meet any dance preference. You can learn all about kapa haka from one of Christchurch’s most dynamic and versatile performing groups, Te Ahikaaroa on Saturday October 3; or you can try your hand at twirling the poi led by Maarie Hutana of Positive Touch on October 10. www.thebody.co.nz

A Haka Lesson

Images supplied by Haka World
Rotorua’s Tiki Edwards of Haka World shows a group of international backpackers at Kiwi Paka Rotorua just how the traditional Haka is done. You can read more about the haka in a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago – here. If the link doesn’t work just click on Haka in the label line below to be delivered to the posting.

Traditional Designs - 3

The Words of the Haka

'Kamate Kamate'

On a Tee-Shirt

To see other examples of how traditional words and designs have been incorporated into everyday New Zealand life, click on Traditional Designs in the label line below.

Haka History

Mareikura Kapa Haka, Waitangi Day, Christchurch
The All Blacks have given the Maori haka – or at least one version of it – an international profile. Commonly considered a war dance, haka are in fact performed on other occasions too – as a welcome to distinguished guests for instance, or to acknowledge great achievements and special occasions – as these members of Christchurch’s Mareikura kapa haka group did on Waitangi Day on February 6th. Most people remember the haka for its power and emotional impact - its facial contortions, the showing of the whites of eyes, feet stamping, body slapping and the poking out of tongues.

Left: Photographed tourism poster; Right One son, Kapa Haka Group, Alice Springs, Australia.
The traditional war haka were called peruperu and were performed before battles to discourage and frighten the enemy. Weapons (especially spears and or mere as above) were waved about and fierce facial expressions and cries were characteristic. The most common haka performed is still ‘Ka Mate,’ a ceremonial haka that stems back to the 1820s and Ngati Toa chief, Te Rauparaha. And contrary to popular belief, the performance of haka is not exclusive to men. There are some haka which are performed exclusively by women, although most commonly, women provide a background of singing to a male performance.
Now, in Rotorua, visitors wanting to learn the haka can do so at Rotorua’s longest-running backpackers, Kiwi Paka. The 90-minute lessons, taken by local man Tiki Edwards of Haka World, are for men and women and will provide visitors with helpful background to the history and meaning of the haka. Tiki came up with the idea when he was living playing rugby in England. He was repeatedly asked to perform the haka during his time living there and he found people from all cultures were curious about the dance.