[Carol]

There was some debate yesterday on our local radio station about how appropriate it is to be doing a Haka as often as it is happening at the Olympics....
This is the article in the DomPost today...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4647131a27745.html

What do you think?
Do you think they are overdoing it a tad?
Or is it all OK?
How do you see the role of women in the Haka?

I have my own thoughts...but wondered how others saw it...

[Moorf]

Vive la Différence!

It's entertaining, it's often emotional and it's uniquely NZ... and if the athletes are truly using it spontaneously as an expression of celebration or release, and aren't being told to do it, then what's the harm?

My $0.02 worth....

[Hejwitch_uk]

Personally, I love it.

[Nienke]

Love it too :clap

[Tia Maria]

Personally with China's Human Rights record I don't think we should even be in the Olympics. But thats a different discussion altogether! ;)

Cheers

Tia

[Carol]

Did you hear the story today about the little girl in the opening ceremony miming because she was "cute" whereas the real singer had crooked teeth....and wasn't seen as suitable to be on camera.

How awful is that?
What a horrible world we live in...

[Bergita]

And the worst part of that is that the "unattractive" girl knows why they only used her voice and the "attractive" girl found out they didn't use hers... Unbelievable.

[Moorf]

... and the fake intro fireworks... and the Microsoft Blue Screen of Death (sorry, bit geeky that one but had us in stitches) :D ( http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10015872-1.html )

One thing that did annoy me though, was the Close Up guy (bearded one), who interviewed a young Chinese girl and was obviously trying to get her to talk about "those goings on" in Tienanmen Square. Surely he would have known that it's not something they're allowed to talk about, and most youngsters in China don't know about it as it was wiped from Chinese history. I thought this was bad taste, especially as he was talking to a young kid.

[CJ22]

Isn't the Haka essentially one giant "up yours"?

[sweetpea]

The haka is just so tired...

[KerryS]

Isn't the Haka essentially one giant "up yours"?

God no - there are many meanings and reasons for the performance of a Haka: for amusement, as a hearty welcome to distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements or occasions, as well as the more well known war dances.

It's not exclusively Kiwi, most Polynesian nations have their own version of the Haka, which they also perform at sporting events.

[ellenmelon]

The haka is just so tired...

we shouldn't forget that there is more than one haka out there. it's just that the one done by a majority of people is the best known and yes can get a bit tedious if you see it a lot i suppose.

[Moorf]

The haka is just so tired...

Tired as in you think it's time the Maori dumped that particular tradition? Or just tired of seeing it all the time, every four years, at the Olympics?

[CJ22]

Am I right in thinking that the Aussies tried inventing one, but it never caught on because...well, because it was made up?

I thought the Haka done by the All Blacks was basically a 'were gonna kick your a**" dance.

Oh, here you go, I checked it out. The lyrics are basically just nonsense:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka_of_the_All_Blacks

[Carol]

. The lyrics are basically just nonsense:


Oh - I wouldn't say that.....

quote from Wikipedia...

The origin of this haka dates to 1810 when chief Te Rauparaha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Rauparaha) of the Ngāti Toa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C4%81ti_Toa) iwi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwi) (clan or tribe) was being chased by enemies. In a cunning stratagem, he hid in a food-storage pit under the skirt of a woman. Because this was an unthinkable thing for a chief to do, Te Rauparaha thought he would be safe. He climbed out to find someone standing over him, who, instead of killing Te Rauparaha, turned out to be another chief friendly to Te Rauparaha. In relief Te Rauparaha performed a haka with the words (translated from Māori) — It is death, it is death: it is life, it is life; this is the man who enabled me to live as I climb up step by step toward sunlight.
These words are still used today. Te Rauparaha's escape from death is commemorated in the haka, which can be interpreted as 'a celebration of life over death' (Pōmare 2006).


By the way - this is said to have taken place at Pauatahanui near Whitby!
(We learnt all about Te Rauparaha when the school turned 150 years old..... bit of a tinker he was!)
:exit


What I don't get (personally) is.... yes it is meant to be a stirring challenge - which is why the All Blacks go for it with such venom... it certainly makes you sit up and take notice and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!

But why use it to welcome someone onto the Olympic Village?
Don't get it.
And to be honest.... overused - it starts to sound like an overplayed record.
And.... there is NOTHING worse than watching someone who has no idea what they are doing - tagging along with it trying to follow the moves....

[CJ22]

It is a challenge of sorts, which begs the question why would any opposition politely stand around watching and pretending to be interested in it cos it's 'cultural'. Surely the appropriate response to a rude challenge is to simply ignore it.

Somebody already asked this, it seems.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=104299

[Carol]

I remember having a similar sort of discussion with a colleague not long after we arrived here - I think they were "stared out" by another rugby team (possible England??)...
Colleague thought it was highly offensive for them to have done that.

I thought it was quite funny and told her to get a life. :D

Actually - it didn't go down that well - and I probably wouldn't be saying that again .... :exit

[Parsley]

At my sis's wedding a few years ago, she asked some Maori friends if they would do a wedding haka (and didn't tell her husband-to-be). The way that it was explained to me was that this particular haka was throwing the challenge of married life to the couple - it's their family/friends/community's way of asking both the bride and groom if they are ready for all the challenges, struggles and joys that married life brings. It was absolutely fantastic - my brother-in-law was so surprised, he was in tears. I learned afterwards that the guys who did the haka had to go to their community and ask to be taught it, as traditionally, it is the married men who deliver the challenge to the couple. They also said that it is not something that you simply learn, but that you must study to understand the cultural significance of the particular haka and how/when it should be used. As I didn't understand the language used, I guess the detail of the whole thing passed me by, but it looked and sounded amazing, and was hugely significant for my brother-in-law. On the plus side, it also scared the crap out of my dad, who was standing in the way when they started, and the celebrant/registrar thought it was great. :)

[sweetpea]

Tired as in you think it's time the Maori dumped that particular tradition? Or just tired of seeing it all the time, every four years, at the Olympics?

If only I only saw it every four years! But it seems to be hauled out for all sorts of everyday sporting activities, especially rugby. Frankly, I don't see the rugby haka as particularly Maori at all, anymore. It's been coopted for use as local color. Maybe it does serve to psych Kiwi athletes up for play, but am I the only one who sees the bored looks on some of the faces of the opposing rugby teams?

[benandclare]

Well as a life long rugby fan the "Haka" performed at the AMI before the England game this year by the All Blacks had me in tears. It generally gets the hairs on the back of my neck going, as does the Welsh national anthem and Flower of Scotland , but this time as I'm now living in Christchurch as a resident of this fine country it did for me.

Find it a shame that they aren't allowed to jump up at the end.........

To me it's a great tradition and long may it continue :):)

[CJ22]

Find it a shame that they aren't allowed to jump up at the end.........

What's that?

[benandclare]

What's that?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L062FxttaMI


Like they do here but higher

[Moorf]

Well as a life long rugby fan the "Haka" performed at the AMI before the England game this year by the All Blacks had me in tears. It generally gets the hairs on the back of my neck going, as does the Welsh national anthem and Flower of Scotland , but this time as I'm now living in Christchurch as a resident of this fine country it did for me.

Find it a shame that they aren't allowed to jump up at the end.........

To me it's a great tradition and long may it continue

:clap Our thoughts, too. I find it weird that immigrants move to other countries and then go on about how silly/strange/awful/tired the traditions are... I actually find it quite rude.. ho hum.

[sweetpea]

:clap Our thoughts, too. I find it weird that immigrants move to other countries and then go on about how silly/strange/awful/tired the traditions are... I actually find it quite rude.. ho hum.

Well, you're certainly welcome to your opinion, as am I. If an immigrant in the US offered his opinion, on, say, the silliness of square dancing or the sad constant repetition of the Pledge of Allegiance when it came up in discussion with other immigrants, I wouldn't be too fussed. To each his or her own.

[CJ22]

:clap Our thoughts, too. I find it weird that immigrants move to other countries and then go on about how silly/strange/awful/tired the traditions are... I actually find it quite rude.. ho hum.

If anybody was 'going on' about it, you might have a point.

[boatieman]

Whatever your views on the haka. One thing for sure is that its not helping to win any medals and it do'nt help in the rugby so it may be "a bit tired" in that respect !!!!

[benandclare]

Whatever your views on the haka. One thing for sure is that its not helping to win any medals and it do'nt help in the rugby so it may be "a bit tired" in that respect !!!!

No that would be why we won 5 medals on saturday and held the Boks to nil in South Africa then
:D

[xanctus]

... and the fake intro fireworks...

Sorry, what's not fake in China? :P:P just kidding...but yeah quite surprising!

[andrewp]

No that would be why we won 5 medals on saturday and held the Boks to nil in South Africa then
:D

And as a result everyone in SA has been grumpy all week :mad: