Maori tribe urges anti-vaccine protesters not to use haka

The Maori tribe that owns the intellectual property rights of the haka made famous by the All Blacks on Monday called on anti-vaccine protesters to stop performing the famous ritual during their rallies. New Zealand law recognizes the Ngati Toa tribe as the cultural guardian of the Ka Mate haka, widely reproduced during recent protests against coronavirus restrictions.

“The Ngati Toa condemn the use of the Ka Mate haka to highlight and promote messages against the anti-Covid-19 vaccination,” the tribe based near Wellington said in a statement. “We insist that the demonstrators immediately stop using our taonga (cultural treasure),” they insist.

The Maori haka has many forms but the Ka Mate, performed by the All Blacks before each match for over a century, is by far the most famous. This ritual where the feet strike the ground powerfully and the eyes roll in their sockets is deeply rooted in the culture of the country and is used on special occasions like weddings and funerals.

No penalty for misuse

The Ka Mate was composed by the warlord of the Ngati Toa tribe, Te Rauparaha, around 1820 after escaping from an enemy tribe in pursuit of him. In 2014, the New Zealand Parliament passed a law recognizing the Ngati Toa as the guardian of the haka, but the text does not provide for any penalties for misuse. The tribe has previously denounced commercial uses of the ritual and satirical or disrespectful versions.

Ngati Toa Chief Executive Helmut Modlik clearly posted a pro-vaccine line: “The Covid-19 vaccine is the best protection we have.” “Many of our tupuna (ancestors) have lost their lives in previous pandemics,” he recalled.

New Zealand has responded radically to Covid-19, with strict containments and border closures, resulting in only 33 deaths for a population of five million. However, thousands of people demonstrated against the “no jab, no job” policy.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lamented that indigenous youth are particularly exposed to disinformation about Covid-19. “We are struggling to reach some of our young Maori,” she lamented on TVNZ television.