Women doing the haka

[Glenda]

Saw this article in my travels. ?I just cannot understand how they can say the haka is sacred when they do it a rugby matches. ? I mean, rugby is an important sport in New Zealand but is it so important that it warrants a 'sacred' act? Of course not ... they do it because it is fun and scary, just for the same reasons the little Maori kids in the school playground do it.


Topless female haka stirs controversy

An English women's rugby team have had a strip torn off them after performing a topless haka.

The girls from the Canterbury women's rugby team in Kent went topless in their version of the sacred war dance for their raunchy 2007 calendar.

But Maori academics have labelled their interpretation of the All Blacks' Ka Mate haka as racially ignorant.

"It looks like misuse of the haka to me," Dr Poia Rewi, senior lecturer in the School of Maori Studies at Otago University, told Sunday News.

"I think Maori would be offended by this," he said.

"Women traditionally did do the haka, and if they really wanted to vent their spleen they might have been prompted to expose their private parts.

"But that's the ultimate expression of soul feeling. If Maori aren't doing it now then I think other people who the culture doesn't belong to should be a bit cautious.

"It's not something I would promote."

Maori Party co-leader Dr Pita Sharples said: "There's two issues here - doing the haka and doing it topless.

"The haka is sacred to us and we do it in the proper way at different times, but if people imitate it then we're fair game to be imitated. I would feel differently if it was a New Zealand women's team - it would be bastardising it in a way."

Broadcaster Willie Jackson added: "Can you imagine if Maori women did it in this country? There'd be uproar.

Continued on http://www.stuff.co.nz/3921762a4560.html

:)

[selchie]

I agree with you, Glenda. I suppose the Maori could get tired of people imitating their "war dance", but it seems that's been going on a long time without much comment. I checked out the photo with the article, and the only suggestion that they were imitating the haka was one woman's tongue sticking out. BFD.

[MotherBear]

They all seem to have a left arm strategically placed across their chest. Guess that's not part of the normal haka either. ;D

[Dawn]

I think that some traditions are extremely important and meaningful to specific groups. I also think that care should be taken when deciding to mimic them for trivial reasons. Why the hell did these women have to undress anyway - no points for guessing who they're trying to sell their calendar to. When will women realise that they can't bang on about equality if they assist men in their oppression by using their bodies as a commodity?

Gets me going this does >:(