Whakahētia te tūkino, kaua ko te haka

Kei te matakawa te Minita Māori i te whakatau a ngā kaiwhakahaere o te Tauwhāinga Whutupaoro o Roller Mills, kia kaua ngā tīma e haka i runga i te papa tākaro.

“He heahea te whakaaro whakaōrite i te haka ki te taikaha, ki te ririhau,” e ai ki Tākuta Pita Sharples. “Ka tipu te ririhau i nga kēmu whutupaoro, i ērā atu hākinakina tukituki tinana, ēngari ehara nā te haka.

“Ka haka te kapa kia tū te ihiihi, kia tū te wananwana, ki te whakakotahi i te rōpū, kia kakama ai te hinengaro i mua i te whakataetae,” hei tāna.

“He wero te haka, hei whakamātau i a koe anō, tae atu ki te hoa whakataetae. Me akona ngā tikanga katoa o te haka, ā, ko te whakanui i te hoa whakataetae tētahi āhuatanga o te haka.

“E haka ana te nuinga noa atu o ngā tamariki i te kura, he huarahi pai e uru ai ngā tikanga Māori ki roto i te kura. He pai tonu te hiahia a ngā tauira ki te haka pērā i te Kapa Ōpango. Engari anō te ture, me haka i roto i te whare whakamau kākahu, hei aha tērā, he takahi tikanga tipuna.

“Me mau ngā kaiako, ngā kaiwhakahaere ki te tikanga, me kauhau tonu atu ki ngā tamariki: kaua e pākaha, kaua e ririhau.

“I ngā rā o mua, i te wā i a au i te kapa toa o Te Aute, ka haka mātou i ngā wā katoa. Engari puta ana te ririhau, ahakoa he whiu kupu noa iho, ka kore koe e tukuna ki te tākaro mo te wiki whai ake.

“Me aro ake ngā kaiako, ngā kaiwhakahaere o ngā tima, o te tauwhāinga hoki, ki ngā mahi a ngā tamariki, me kaua e whakahē i te haka. Ko te tikanga o tēnei whakatau, he mea kino te haka, me kaua e haka i mua i te aroaro o te iwi whānui, no reira taku anuanu,” hei tā Tākuta Sharples.

Hon Dr Pita Sharples
Minister of Maori Affairs

12 August 2010 Media Release
Minister disgusted by haka ban

Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples says he is disgusted that pre-match haka have been banned from playing fields during the Roller Mills junior rugby tournament.

“It is an absolute travesty to equate the haka with violence,” said Dr Sharples. “Violence does occur during rugby games, and other contact sports, but to blame the haka is ridiculous,” he said.

“The haka is perfomed to inspire enthusiasm and pride, to build team unity, and to lift the players’ mental alertness before the game,” he said.

“It is a challenge, to your own team as well as your opponent, and teams need to be taught the full discipline of the haka, including respect for the other side.

“There is a whole culture of school students doing the haka which is a fantastic way to incorporate tikanga Maori into the life of the school. The fact that school rugby teams want to emulate the All Black haka is great. But to confine it to the changing sheds is ridiculous, and defeats the purpose.

“Coaches and managers must take a strong line and constantly remind players that violence is not acceptable.

“In my days playing for Te Aute College’s First XV, we always performed the haka. But if there was any foul play, even swearing, you were automatically stood down from next week’s game,” said Dr Sharples.

“Coaches, managers and tournament organisers need to address the behaviour, not blame the haka, and I am disgusted that this ban suggests the haka is somehow bad, and should not be performed in public,” he said.

ENDS

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