Recently, Ngati Toa, as part of its treaty settlement, got the New Zealand Government to acknowledge authorship and significance of the Ka Mate haka to Ngati Toa.
This announcement seemed to cause a bit of concern among New Zealanders who thought their "right" to perform the famous haka would be taken away.
Don't worry.
Ngati Toa lost their seven-year battle with the Intellectual Properties Office to have Ka Mate trademarked in 2006.
The settlement does not allow Ngati Toa access to royalties or veto rights.
It is a cultural rather than financial acknowledgement.
All Ngati Toa can hope for is that this will allow them to address concerns they have regarding Ka Mate being misappropriated and inappropriately used.
High-profile examples of inappropriate use that come to mind include the Spice Girls' rendition, the 2006 Fiat advert in Italy and the recent American movie Forever Strong.
Does anyone else find it alarming that other cultures exploit our culture? Others may argue that the Gingerbread Men doing the haka for the New Zealand Bakery of the Year 2007 campaign was also offensive.
Personally, I found that advert less offensive.
At least the gingerbread figures performed the haka more authentically than many live and impromptu performances I've seen.
What is it, then, that determines whether a performance is misappropriated or inappropriate?A key aspect for me is whether the actions and words are genuine, whether the reason for doing the haka is respectful, whether the act has been divorced of its cultural context or not, and whether there has been cultural consultation.
I'm aware that Maori culture is not the only culture to be exploited or used in a satirical way.
But why sit back and take it on the chin? We should protect how we are portrayed and how our culture is used in an ever-increasing global marketplace.
Some exploitation is accepted and Ngati Toa acknowledges that Ka Mate has been in the public realm for years.
Despite John Key's naive statement that the All Blacks don't use the haka in a commercial way (hello?), Ka Mate remains a key part of the All Black brand and most probably the Rugby World Cup 2011 legacy, too.
Replacing the Maori team with the Junior All Blacks, however, has upset many New Zealanders who enjoy a Maori style of rugby and consider the Maori team iconic.
The Springboks are offering the Maori team a lifeline by playing it at Soweto before the British and Irish Lions test.
Let's hope the NZRU seriously pursues this offer, as it would prove a reciprocal rather than exploitative relationship exists between Maori culture and rugby.
The 1905 Originals performed Ka Mate before the first test against Scotland and made such an impact on the Scottish psyche that they have used the concept of a haka in several adverts.
In one, for William Lawson's Scotch Whisky, a bunch of men in kilts wait for what looks like a Maori rugby team to finish an inaudible haka before lifting their kilts in response.
At least they are incorporating aspects of their own culture, the haka seems to be done in an authentic and contextualised way, and the lifting of kilts might be considered by some to be an appropriate response.
Let's hope no rugby team decides to use that tactic in the future.
The second advert is more disconcerting.
A group of Scottish job-seekers get into formation and proceed to growl, yell, squat, stamp and make gestures that are vaguely associated with a "war dance".
I can see what they're trying to do.
They want to encourage the Scottish workforce to be proactive and aggressive in seeking out jobs.
Why not use a scene from Braveheart to do that? Wouldn't something that appeals to their cultural identity be more appropriate? I suppose that is the power of haka.
It invokes passion, represents bravery, determination and unity, and is something that we should all be proud of.
All the best to Ngati Toa in preserving the authenticity of one aspect of New Zealand culture in a marketplace that seeks to exploit the exotic.
