Peter Love, trustee of Te Atiawa's Wellington Tenths Trust, says the haka has been "hijacked by rugby people" for commercial purposes and that Maori culture is being abused, overused and bastardised by sport.
I don't think it is being over-used with regards to pre-game performances during the Rugby World Cup. The rate of haka performances by the All Blacks has not increased exponentially during the tournament.
Love's responses are a reaction to South African coach Peter de Villiers' comments that he feels overexposed to the haka, which means it was less respected.
Trust de Villiers to make a comment such as this at Opotaka (Ngati Tuwharetoa), the birthplace of Ka Mate.
I appreciate his honesty and candidness in terms of expressing his opinion (which can be convoluted and cryptic at times), but did he have to be so rude at the so-called birthplace of New Zealand's most well-known haka?
Watching the footage, it looked like the South African team were freezing and probably had to endure a lengthy powhiri that many New Zealanders struggle with themselves.
Why are we educating our international visitors about the haka, when the majority of New Zealanders don't even know the story?
And I can understand why de Villiers does feel overexposed to one aspect of New Zealand and Maori culture.
As a nation, we've seen the haka being used to greet visiting teams at the airport, to greet and celebrate the waka fleet arrival at the Auckland viaduct and during the procession, as well as the flash mob haka cropping up all over the country and even across the ditch.
I don't think all of this can be blamed on the "rugby people" exploiting the haka. Many of these occasions were organised by the central and local government, event organisers, Maori and non-Maori desperate to express their identity and culture during this big event.
Love suggested the haka was inappropriate when performed outside special occasions, or in a spontaneous manner as an expression of delight.
Really? I've observed many graduation ceremonies where proud whanau and friends break out into spontaneous haka as their loved ones are capped. It is a moving expression of delight.
This seems highly appropriate to me.
And how can Love say that being part of a global event like the Rugby World Cup isn't a special occasion?As New Zealanders, we have been encouraged to embrace the tournament and its associated festival activities with our heart and soul and, if you want to be cynical, our wallets.
The flash-mob haka performances demonstrate how effective social networking really is in terms of mobilising the masses and creating a phenomenon that has a mind of its own.
What does concern me is how one-dimensional we come across if all we can do to express ourselves as a nation and as a people is a haka.
This reveals an even deeper issue with regards to the New Zealand psyche - an inability to express ourselves in a way that demonstrates a range of emotions besides warrior-like poses, expressions and energy.
Many New Zealanders (Maori and non-Maori) are crying out for something that expresses their culture to the world.
Why don't we demonstrate other aspects of our identity and culture like waiata, poi, taiaha, waiata-a-ringa (action songs) that express emotions like joy, gracefulness, unity, and dexterity?Why not start a flash mob poi performance?
Why doesn't someone get out their dusty ghetto blaster and sparkly glove and start a rendition of Poi E, complete with break-dancing?It is particularly sad that Maori boys and men feel the only way they can present themselves to the world with pride and conviction is by doing a haka.
Maori men are more complex and multi-dimensional and we should demonstrate that to the world. They can be caring, loving, gentle and happy and we should encourage opportunities to express that aspect of our culture to a local and global audience.
The Real New Zealand Festival does demonstrate how multi-dimensional we are as a people and nation so let's take on board the claims of over-exposure to the haka, and celebrate other aspects of our personality as a nation.
We show flair, creativity and a range of abilities on the rugby field so why not off it?
