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Knowledge nugget of the day: Maori Haka

What is the Maori Haka dance of New Zealand that hit the headlines recently? Go beyond the nugget to know about the five lesser-known folk dances of India.

New Zealand’s youngest MP performs 'haka' in parliament. (Image source: @ThomasMusket/X)

Why is the Haka dance performed? What are the other popular Haka? Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today.

Knowledge Nugget: Maori Haka

Subject: Art and Culture

(Relevance: UPSC keeps asking questions about art and culture, with dance being one of the important components. In this regard, it is important to know about any dance form that is news and its cultural significance.)

Why in the news?

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a 22-year-old Maori Party MP, performed a powerful Maori haka in parliament in protest of a contentious Bill, that video has now become viral. This led to the temporary suspension of the Parliament on November 14. The traditional dance was a protest against the Treaty Principles Bill that aimed to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The haka is of deep cultural significance to Maori identity and is traditionally performed by warriors on the battlefield or to welcome another tribe. According to New Zealand Tourism’s website, haka “was a show of physical prowess but also an embodiment of cultural pride, strength, and unity.” It is usually performed in a group and involves chanting, dramatic facial gestures, hand movements, and stamping the feet.

2. Most recently, the haka made global headlines in 2019 when students from various schools – including non-Maori ones – paid tribute to their peers who died in the Christchurch shootings through it.

3. The Haka traces its roots to the Maori people, the indigenous Polynesian inhabitants of Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand). Traditionally, the haka was a ceremonial dance or challenge performed by warriors before battle. It was designed to intimidate opponents with synchronised movements, powerful chants, and piercing expressions.

4. Beyond warfare, the haka also served as a means of storytelling, a way to express communal grievances, celebrate triumphs, or honour ancestors. The chants, or waiata, convey deep messages about Maori heritage, values, and connection to the land.

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5. The haka is not a single dance but a category of performances. The most well-known haka, Ka Mate, was composed in the early 19th century by Maori chief Te Rauparaha of the Ngāti Toa tribe. The lyrics comprised of “Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora!” (“I die, I die! I live, I live!”) which celebrates a narrow escape from enemies, blending themes of resilience and unity.

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Other Popular Haka

• Peruperu: A war haka performed before battle to intimidate the enemy and demonstrate strength.

• Ngeri: A short haka without set actions, often used to stiffen the sinews and uplift the spirit.

• Pōwhiri: A welcoming haka performed during formal greeting ceremonies.

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• Manawa wera: A haka performed at funerals or memorials to express grief.

6. The All Blacks, New Zealand’s rugby team, has performed the haka before each match for nearly 120 years. The tourism website says the routine gives the team “a psychological edge and elevates their heart rates above their opponents, who must stand and watch.” But traditionally, the haka has been done to show “cultural pride, strength, and unity.”

Treaty of Waitangi

It is the foundational document of Aotearoa (New Zealand) which was signed in 1840 by a representative of the British crown and 500 Maori chiefs. It promised the tribes broad rights to their lands and interests if they ceded governance to the British Empire.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: International Dance Day and 5 lesser-known folk dances of India

1. International Dance Day is annually on April 29 to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the father of modern ballet.

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2. This day was first founded in 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), in collaboration with UNESCO Performing Arts, with an idea to celebrate the beauty and diversity of dance and recognise its ability to transcend cultural barriers and bring people together.

Here are 5 folk dances of India which are lesser-known, according to the experts:

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Knowledge nugget of the day: Maori haka, gotipua

Dancers performing Gotipua. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Dance	State	Description
Laho	Meghalaya	It is an integral part of the Behdienkhlam festival, which is held annually to invoke divine blessings and to get rid of bad spirits. It is famous among the Pnar tribal community in Meghalaya.
Kud	Jammu	It is performed by the Dogra community after the harvesting of crops is finished. It is a ritual to thank the Gram Devta or village deity for protecting crops.
Puli Vesham	Andhra Pradesh	Puli Vesham or Tiger Dance is performed in the Andhra region during Dussehra and Muharram festivals. It is a one-man dance where the performer wears a narrow strip of cloth around the waist, and has the whole body painted with stripes, sporting a long tail, dancing vigorously in tiger-like strides and jumps.
Bhootam	Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu	The dance is performed to ward off evil spirits. It has animistic elements and is ritualistic in nature. Only male dancers perform it. The performance takes place in front of idols of the village deities, usually carved out of wood and painted in bold colours.
Gotipua	Odisha	It is one of the precursors of modern-day Odissi which was recast in the middle decades of the last century by a triumvirate of Gurus who merged diverse local dance traditions into a single mono-aesthetic. The dance is executed by a group of boys who perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna.

(Source: What is the Maori Haka dance, Why New Zealand lawmakers staged a ‘haka’ against a divisive Bill)

For your queries and suggestions write at khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com

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Khushboo Kumari

Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com ... Read More

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