Ka mate, Ka mate! Ka ora, Ka ora!

The New Zealand government has finally recognized the intellectual property rights of the Māori over the haka performed by the All Blacks before their matches.

This particular haka - one of many, in fact - is a style of dance performed in groups with shouting accompaniment. It was invented by the warrior chief Te Rauparaha, who performed it for the first time in the early 19th century, after escaping death while being pursued by enemies.

Māori myth says that Tama Nui Tora, the sun god, had two wives: one for the summer, Hine Raumati, and the other for the winter, Hine Takurua. The first gave birth to a son, Tane Rore, whose dance represented the trembling of the air on scorching summer days. This is how the Haka was born, a dance for men only, the "intellectual property" and "commercial rights" of which have been awarded to the Ngati Toa tribe. The award, which resolves a 160-year-old dispute, also includes compensation of 121 million New Zealand dollars (almost 64 million US dollars) and a portion of the territory located between the lower part of the North Island and the upper part of the South Island. Over the past 10 years, Ngati Toa has repeatedly attempted to impose a copyright on the Haka to limit its abuse for commercial purposes, especially in cases where its use for advertising purposes detracted from its cultural value (as in the case of the FIAT commercial from a few years ago, for which New Zealand requested explanations from the Italian embassy and which, according to ANSA, was remedied with generous sponsorship from Iveco).

On styles

The dance styles are numerous and are mainly due to the various interpretations given by different Māori tribes and to the different rituals during which the dance is repeated.

Ka Mate: One of the most famous versions is, of course, the Ka Mate, the typical haka of the All Blacks, who repeat it at every match, after the national anthems, to intimidate their opponents. The Ka Mate is a very short haka, performed when one feels good and wants to express it freely. It is performed without the use of weapons. It is not, in fact, a war dance, as is commonly believed.

Peruperu: The Peruperu, on the other hand, is a variant of the Haka, typically used in war. Weapons are used in this case, and it is characterized by a high jump, with legs bent, at the end of the ritual. This jump was added by the All Blacks to the end of their Ka Mate performance, provoking some criticism, to make their performance more spectacular and impressive.

Kapa or Pango: This new haka was invented by the All Blacks for special occasions. It was developed with a group of Māori tradition experts and took almost a year to create. Rather than replacing the Ka Mate, this haka complements it. The words of the Kapa O Pango refer more explicitly to the rugby team because they speak of warriors in black with silver ferns. It is considered much more aggressive than the Ka Mate and with a more pronounced sense of challenge to the opponents.
The text of this version is here.

At this link you can find the text of the Haka, Ka Mate version

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