Haka Today
A Thriving Cultural Practice
Haka at National Rugby Game
Haka has become commonly associated with Rugby and is often performed before games in New Zealand and Australia
Haka before a College Football game
The University of Hawaii football team commonly performs a pregame Haka
Analysis
Haka is a form of customary folklore, as defined by the folklore book "Living Folklore". An act consisting of traditional, customary acts that have been passed down through generations.
Morten Kjeldseth Pettersen of the University of Oslo in Norway states:
"Kapa haka is many things at once; as an art form it is considered equal to other expressions of toi Māori (traditional arts) like raranga (weaving), whakairo (carving) and tā moko (tattooing); as a ‘tradition’ it is regarded as a taonga tuku iho, an heirloom that is handed down through the generations; as part of tikanga (custom) it has a function in both ritual and entertainment; as part of Maori society it has undergone changes over time in tune with changes in the society; as a part of New Zealand society it has undergone a revival in the 20th century; as a teaching method and part of the repertoire of mātauranga (knowledge) it is being taught to successive generations of Maori and non-Maori; as a performance art it is still as vibrant and innovative today as it has ever been; and as a visual display of identity it still captivates the attention of others. To sum it up in the words of one of my informants: “Kapa haka is culture – our culture!” (Pettersen 2)."
and as stated by Professors Steven Jackson and Brendan Hokowhitu, "
It is rugby’s mythical and popularized role in defining New Zealand
identity and in uniting Mäori and Pakeha that helps explain the signifi-
cance of the haka (cf. Maclean, 1999; Phillips, 1987; Zavos, 1998)."
Haka is more than just a dance or practice, it is a cultural identity.