Juliuse Mallari LBST 2102 Mini Paper

About three weeks ago, I visited Hawaii for a family reunion. During the trip, I was able
to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center to learn more about the civilizations that existed in the
islands of Polynesia. In the cultural center, they were presenting the cultures of the main islands
such as Hawaii, Samoa, and New Zealand. Out of all the presentations, I found New Zealands to
be the most interesting due to the unique dance they performed called the Haka.
The Haka Dance is a traditional war cry of the Maori Tribe. It is performed by a group,
usually men, to intimidate their opponents and while increasing their own morale. This type of
Haka, called peruperu, were originally performed before a battle. It showed their prowness and
strength in order to start a mental scar on their enemies. Having seen a Haka performed, I
definitely see why it would scare enemies away. Facial contortions, poking out the tongue,
slapping hands, and stomping feet give a sense of savagery that you truly do not want to mess
with. Weapons are also waved with grunts and cries that enhance the feel of the ritual. This
traditional peruperu Haka is definitely an ideological ritual since it controls the mood of both the
performers and viewers alike.
Today, Haka is an integral part of welcome ceremonies for visitors and gives a sense of
importance for the event. It has even been used by the All Blacks rugby team in order to instill
fear on their opponents. The modern Haka used by the All Blacks team is called the Ka Mate
Haka. It was made by Te Rauparaha; a war leader of the Ngati Toa tribe of New Zealand. It
signifies the celebration of life over death, especially when they proclaim Ka mate! Ka Ora!
which means I may die! or I may live!. Its a ceremonial haka that is performed with passion
and pride to reclaim the dignity to this traditional art form. It has been recognized as an icon of
New Zealand and is definitely a sight to see. Haka could also be performed during weddings and
funerals. For weddings, family and friends of the person getting married would perform the Haka

Juliuse Mallari LBST 2102 Mini Paper

as a form of welcoming and a sign of respect to the significant other of the one they are close to.
While performing Haka, people watching could join in. It is also normal that the bride and groom
join the dance as a form of gratitude and respect towards those who performed it for them. For
funerals, they believe that the soul of the person does not leave the body until the burial of the
body. They perform Haka as a form of expression of grief and a way to introduce strength and
determination to those who are participating. I think that Haka helps the members of the tribe
express their emotions to one another and also use it as a form of being able to show respect to
one another.
Although Haka is traditionally a war cry, there is many other forms of Haka that is also
presented today. The ngeri Haka is one form that is performed without the use of weapons. Its
main purpose is to motivate psychologically and the movements are set to be free. Performers of
ngeri Haka is supposed to be expressive of their own feelings and can be used as a release for
bottled up emotions. The ngeri Haka is a therapeutic ritual since it is a release. The manawa wera
Haka, on the other hand, is used in occasions that involve death. This haka is performed without
the use of weapons and with no choreographed type of movement. I would classify this as a
salvation ritual since it can be interpreted as a passing of the soul.
In conclusion, the Haka can be every type of ritual depending on the situation it is used
on. Seeing it first hand, I see why Europeans had trouble with the Maori tribe in terms of their
conquest. I personally enjoy the traditional war Haka the most since it has sense of savagery and
morale boosting capabilities.