For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222

Maori Haka
  Term Paper ID:46060 		Get This Paper Free! or
Essay Subject:
This paper discusses the Maori haka its history and place in the Maori culture ...... More...
6 Pages / 1350 Words
8 sources, 26 Citations, MLA Format
$24.00

More Papers on This Topic


Paper Abstract:
This paper discusses the Maori haka, its history and place in the Maori culture, the issue of intellectual property rights, the New Zealand All Blacks, and other related issues.

Paper Introduction:
Maori Haka The Maoris are New Zealand\'s indigenous people Dawson The Maorihaka is a traditional Maori dance and important Maorian social custom thatconveys a tribe\'s reputation Dawson Maori Haka The haka may beperformed for a variety of different reasons Maori Haka A haka isused to welcome distinguished guests celebrate an achievement or issue achallenge prior to a game or battle Maori Haka The sociocultural political psychological historical and communicative aspects of theMaori haka make it a vital part of Maorian culture one

Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.


The haka exerts a psychological impact on opponents by virtueof the warriors' or players' fierce looks and demoralizing gestures,described by Shenna and McLean (494, as cited in Berry 3), who state thatthe players "look ugly, furious...roll the fiery eye...glare the light ofbattle therein...spew the defiant tongue...control...distort...snort...fartthe thunder of the war-god upon the enemy...stamp furiously...yell raucous,hideous, blood-curdling sounds, to carry the anger, the peru ofTuumatauenga, the ugly-face war-god, throughout the heat of battle." Berryexplains that the haka significantly impacts the Maoris' identity,demonstrating their "idealized masculinity," which is especially importantto them following the American colonization of the Hawaiian Islands anddisruption of their traditions, which included a perception of"emasculation and feminization in the stereotyped laziness of Polynesianpeople in the way they adjusted to the Western way of life" (Mead 158, ascited in Berry 4). EBSCO Host.Jackson, Steven J. Thus, the Maori hakabecame embroiled in a battle for intellectual property rights. This political entanglement brought the haka to the fore as asociocultural component of Maori life and resulted in more detailedscrutiny of the haka in terms of what it means to people and the ways inwhich it serves the Maori people. Berry (3) points out that unlike thedances of most other cultures, the haka has never been just a type of"social entertainment, courting, celebration, or a form of worship."Instead, it was "deeply spiritual, a key to their unity as a people, and aswarriors, and held in utmost importance" (Berry 3) Moreover, in order toperform the haka, the Maoris had to be both physically and mentally fit(Berry 3). There are different types of haka, as well;the haka koiri is swaying-movement dance, while the haka tutohu is a danceperformed in wedge formation as a ritual in divination (Youngerman 77).The haka taparahi, the shouted posture dance type of haka used by the NewZealand All Blacks is identical to the haka peruperu, except that thelatter includes weapons such as spear-shaped or short clubs (Youngerman77). "The Maoris Haka: Ours for the Taking?" BYU Dance Journal, (2 9). Similarly to the Hawaiian hula,hand gestures in haka are often significant, and Keraminas notes that "If aperformer puts his or her hand near their ear during a song...the lyrics inthat particular instance may indicate a need to hear or to listen." McLean(61) notes that the Maoris' chants have survived to the present time via anoral tradition that has demonstrated "extreme concern for the accuratetransmission of the chants," including "a notable reluctance to recordwithout practice, except when the song was well known, and by an outrightrefusal to record when any uncertainty existed in text or in tune." Thisinsistence on precision suggests that the Maori chants that we hear todayare precisely the same as those used centuries ago, and thus they are aslice of history. "The New Zealand all Blacks Haka and the Politics of Identity." Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 26.2, 125-139. JSTOR. The Maorihaka is a traditional Maori dance and important Maorian social custom thatconveys a tribe's reputation (Dawson; "Maori Haka"). It is one of three prominent types of Polynesian dancing; the hula isa general Hawaiian term for dance, the haka is the general term for the NewZealand Maori posture dance, and the hook is the Rapanui term for "rockingthe body back and forth while singing" (Fong 286). It is primal and communicates supremacy and confidence. "From Kapa Haka to Hip Hop: The Performing Arts and Music of the Maori of New Zealand." McLean, Mervyn Evan. Keraminas, Evan L. Maori Haka The Maoris are New Zealand's indigenous people (Dawson). The history and cultural tradition associated with the Maori haka isexemplified in its use in sports. A haka isused to welcome distinguished guests, celebrate an achievement, or issue achallenge prior to a game or battle ("Maori Haka"). The haka as representative of Maori and Polynesian culture is integralto their culture, intrinsically belongs to them, and satisfies multiplecultural needs, including the preservation of historical dance and song,the projection of masculinity, the challenge to battle or games, and thecommunication of the people's wisdom, emotions, and psychological aspectsof the person. As such, the haka preserves the indigenous culture of NewZealand as well as of the Maori and Polynesian peoples and serves as a formof communication that is distinctive to that culture. Since under traditional intellectual property law,the Maoris could not stop the use of the haka in the commercials due to thefact that any copyright had expired long before and no further protectionswere available to the tribe, it was necessary for the Ngati Toa to sign aSettlement Agreement with the New Zealand government recognizing the KaMate haka's cultural significance and its authorship by Ngati Toa's chief(Dawson). As they explain in their introduction, each of the three terms in thetitle represents one of the apexes of the Polynesian triangle: hula is thegeneral Hawaiian term for dance, haka is the general term for the NewZealand Maori posture dance, and hoko is the Rapanui term for rocking thebody back and forth while singing The word haka is usually translated "action song" but sometimes as"posture dancing" (Keraminas). A Maoritribe filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for "the commercial use of itsculture" (Jackson 125). "The Ka Mate Haka - Generic IP Law v Indigenous Rights." AsiaLaw, (March 2 9). Works Cited"Maori Haka." Maori.com. This paper will examinethe haka and its role, contending that the haka is integral to the Maorianculture, rightfully belongs to them, and satisfies multiple needs for theMaori people. In one notable example, thehaka became a political football when the athletic shoe brand Adidas used aportion of it in a commercial without asking permission of anyone. EBSCO Host.Fong, Randie K. TheFiat auto company did the same, except that in this case the ad had womenperforming the haka, which was highly offensive to the Maori since the hakamust always be performed by men, never in a commercial context, and alwaysin a careful manner that suggests respect (Dawson). The haka restores the perception of masculinity as wellas serving to teach and establish it in today's Maorian identity (Berry 4). Berry, Megan. Many who see itassociate it with strength, masculinity, and unparalleled determination towin. The sociocultural,political, psychological, historical, and communicative aspects of theMaori haka make it a vital part of Maorian culture, one that other culturesadmire and essay to appropriate for themselves. The haka may beperformed for a variety of different reasons ("Maori Haka"). Per Keraminas,"Warriors would also stick out their tongues at their foes: mouth wideopen, angling tongues down against the chin rather than directly at theopponent...a gesture of defiance which implies, 'I will eat you,'" a threatthat reflects the human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism that used to occurin New Zealand and other Polynesian societies. "Hula, Haka, Hoko! It is a standing tradition for the All Blacks to perform the hakaprior to all their matches and has been so since 1884 ("Maori Haka").Since 19 6, the All Blacks have performed the Ka Mate haka, but in 2 5,they introduced a new one-Kapa o Pango, which was developed just for them("Maori Haka"). JSTOR. As an art form, the haka is considered both a type of singing and ofdancing, and in fact, the term haka is a generic term for both (Youngerman77). Youngerman, Suzanne. In the haka peruperu, Maori warriors stamped their feet, brandishedtheir weapons, and slapped their chests, all while chanting and proclaimingtheir "strength and fighting prowess" (Keraminas). The pre-game haka is a challenge to the opposing team, andas it involves grunting, chanting, primitive body postures, and angry-looking facial expressions, it is quite imposing. Dawson, Rachel. The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team isdistinguished for its ceremonial haka, Ka Mate, which is attributed toRauaraha, an early 19th-century chief of the Ngati Toa tribe ("MaoriHaka"). The songs associated with the haka are known as waiata, ofteninvolving kapa, a literal term meaning "rank" or "line" that refers to thefact that haka performers often involved a formation of at least two rowsof performers, such as a line of males and a line of females or a line ofsingers and a line of dancers (Keraminas). An Introduction to Polynesian Dancing (Book Review)." The Contemporary Pacific, 14.1, (March 1, 2 2), 286. Dawsonpoints out that the All Blacks perform the haka in front of their opponents"as a reminder that they can also overcome overwhelming odds such as thosefaced by Maui." Because of the haka's supremely masculine appeal, it has becomeattractive to a variety of companies and causes that want to "borrow" thatappeal to sell their own causes and products. "Maori Dancing since the Eighteenth Century." Ethnomusicology, 18.1, (January 1974), 75-1 . This agreement was signed on February 11, 2 9 and is expectedto prevent further unauthorized use of the haka for commercial or otherpurposes (Dawson). "Oral Transmission in Maori Music." Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 13, (1961), 59-62. SagePub.

If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:

Search for:

or

We can write a Custom Essay just for you.


Browse Essays by Subject