Bone People

The Maori people are surrounded by myths,most of them war-related. So,the group uses traditional weapons like the taiha and the tititorea. But there are also dollops of humour,harvest songs,chants and prayers to show there’s more to them than blood and gore. Tuesday’s performance,called “People of the Pacific”,traced the journey of the Maori ancestors from their mythological homeland Hawaiki to different islands in the Pacific until they finally settled down in New Zealand. Dressed in beaded skirts,bone jewellery and feathers,they created a spectacle. Vigorous movements,exaggerated facial distortions and bloodcurdling screams alternated with fluid portrayal of flying birds and hunters stalking prey.

But the most popular Maori dance is the Haka,a vigorous and aggressive war dance that gives the Maori their fierce image. “In Haka,we vent our rage at issues like the colonisation of the Maoris by Europeans in the 19th century and the loss of our language and culture,” says Ellison,adding how his grandparents were forbidden from speaking Maori in school.

Though Maoris are still said to be suffering from racism and lack of opportunities,there has been a resurgence of their culture. The Kahurangi group was founded by Tama Huata 26 years ago to “educate and gainfully employ young Maoris who were otherwise out on the streets,” says dancer Arona Maui,24. The group has performed at the UN as well as at an Oscar afterparty,besides touring the world. “And everywhere,we tell people the story of a peaceful people,” he adds.

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