History
Before the arrival of Europeans (Pakeha), the haka held many different forms and meanings depending on the occasion. Two main forms are the haka taparahi (without weapons) and the haka peruperu (with weapons), and within those forms different styles were used based on the intentions of the performers (Gardiner 2001). Each form could be used to express personal or public matters, and could be performed as a group or by a single person. When Pakeha began to settle New Zealand in the 19th century, the haka began to lose its original meanings and started being performed as entertainment for the newcomers. Even though some styles and forms were lost to the European invasion, the haka still retained its tradition of provoking emotion. The emergent quality of the haka to adapt to cultural change would carry it through the 20th century to the present.
The haka as an emergent tradition takes on two forms as described by Martha Sims and Martine Stephens in Living Folklore: An Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions: it "arises out of...a particular performance context" and "every performance differs from every other: (2011a, 148). Instead of being used as a war dance, the haka "[had] become a forum of political protest" within the 20th century (Tovey 1998, 48). This new form of haka helped start the Maori Renaissance that saw the revitalization of the Maori culture and language.
The Maori renaissance began in the 1960s and ran through the 1990s (Murray 2000, 354). It was a time filled with the resurgence of traditional Maori customs and language. During this time, the Maori incorporated political protest into haka performances as a way to express their discontent with how they were treated in New Zealand society. The haka as political protest emerged out of war hakas, as it used similar body styles and gesticulations but, for the most part, stopped using weapons during the performances. These political protests have been so effective in bringing attention to Maori causes that it has become a valuable new tradition.
Hakas used as protest have not only been used in New Zealand to create awareness of important issues, but have also been employed in different parts of the world, including the United States. A small delegation of Maori visited Standing Rock during the protest against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and in defiance of armed policemen they performed hakas to express their anger. Political protest hakas are much like their original war dance forms in that they are intimidating, emotional, and aggressively communicate the intentions of the performers while leaving its audience in awe.
