Ngāti Toa condemns the use of Ka Mate to promote anti-vaccination messages

Ngāti Toa condemns the use of the Ka Mate haka to push and promote anti-COVID-19-vaccination messages.

With an increase in anti-vaccination protests across the motu, Ngāti Toa request that anti-vaccination and anti-mandate protesters cease the use of Ka Mate at their protests immediately.

“As the descendendants of Te Rauparaha, we insist that protestors stop using our taonga immediately,” says Pou Tikanga, Dr Taku Parai.

“We do not support their position and we do not want our tupuna or our iwi associated with their messages. ”

This call comes from witnessing the use of the haka, Ka Mate at recent anti-vaccination protests and also being alerted by members of the public to suggestions that Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki is planning to teach Ka Mate to attendees of future anti-vaccination mandate protests.

“Ngati Toa has been proactive in the protection of our whānau against COVID-19 with our Ora Toa Health Services being a major provider of COVID-19 vaccinations across our rohe,” says Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Cheif Executive Officer Helmut Modlik.

“Many of our tupuna lost their lives in previous pandemics and our iwi suffered greatly. We are absolutely clear that the COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection we have available to us, and we are committed to supporting our whānau to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

“Protests are promoting the views of individuals ahead of the needs of collective whānau. In our view, this is not rangatiratanga and we are confident that our tupuna would agree with our stance.”

“Our message to protestors who wish to use Ka Mate is to use a different haka. We do not endorse the use of Ka Mate for this purpose.”

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