Isn't the 'Ka Mate' Haka Ours?

[LemonHunter 583]

INteresting, used by an american University

Isnt the Ka Mate Haka completly Maori, not polynesian (yes i know different argument again for another time) But given its based on Te Rauparaha we could consider it totally Maori Based...

"Ka Mate" has also become well known in the Mountain West Conference, and among the fans and opponents of the Brigham Young University football team. Prior to the BYU Cougars taking on Boston College, their season-opener in 2005, the Cougars instituted a new tradition when they performed the "Ka Mate" Haka. Minutes before kickoff, members of the BYU football team lined up on the southeast corner of the field and performed "Ka Mate" for a stadium full of cheering fans. Planned and prepared under a tight veil of secrecy for months, this new tradition was inspired by Bryce Mahuika, the team’s only player of Maori decent, who had recently lost his father, Michael K. Mahuika (the son of Napi Mahuika, the chief of the Maori Ngati Porou tribe). As a boy, Michael K. Mahuika, his father's oldest son and next in line to become the chief of his tribe, was taught everything about his tribe's culture. When he attended the Church College of Hawaii, now Brigham Young University Hawaii, he was employed at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), where he performed haka and other dances of his people at the Maori Village for tourists. He passed these cultural dances on to his children, teaching them how important they were to his people and his forefathers. On March 27th, 2005, Michael K. Mahuika passed away in Vancouver, Washington; Hodgkin's lymphoma had finally won. Over a thousand mourners attended his funeral, including Curtis Brown, Brigham Young University's star running back, to honor the fallen chief. Kyle and Bryce Mahuika, his sons, led them in a haka at the gravesite prior to lowering Michael K. Mahuika's casket into the ground. After returning from his father's funeral, Bryce Mahuika attended a team meeeting where Bronco Mendenhall, the head coach, asked the team for personal requests that might help the team reach their goals in 2006. Bryce Mahuika went up to the front to thank everybody for their support, when he had the idea to do the Haka to fire up the crowd and prepare for football games. He explained the origins and significance of the Haka to the team, and they enthusiastically supported the idea. On September 03, 2005, the BYU Football team instituted the new tradition, and a little over a year later, on November 18th, 2006, the Cougars became undefeated (in conference play) Mountain West Conference champions.

In an interesting departure from their normal pre-game "Ka Mate" performance, on Saturday, 25 November, 2006, the Brigham Young University Cougars performed "Ka Mate" both prior to their historic rivalry football game with the University of Utah, and upon winning a come-from-behind, extremely hard-fought game, breaking Utah's four-year winning streak in the series, BYU's football team performed an additional impromptu rendition of "Ka Mate" to the delight of their fans in attendance.

Edited December 8, 2006 by Charlie Fox

[Guest Spargo]

Maoris = from hawaiiki

Ka mate was written for the all blacks as far as i'm aware?

Hopefully with other countries doing the haka, we can finally stop seeing a f**king haka every 5 mins from fans / sports teams / advertisements / dressing rooms.

I for one, am bloody sick of the importance being lost.

[OLLIE 26]

how about a clothing brand? anyone? haka clothing nz

[hybrid 1039]

lol rugby lol

[325GRANT 0]

Ka mate was written for the all blacks as far as i'm aware?

Ka Mate = Te Rauparaha

Kapa o Pango = All Blacks

[M325is 0]

Maoris = from hawaiiki

Ka mate was written for the all blacks as far as i'm aware?

Hopefully with other countries doing the haka, we can finally stop seeing a f**king haka every 5 mins from fans / sports teams / advertisements / dressing rooms.

I for one, am bloody sick of the importance being lost.

The last straw was when they did the haka at a motorsport event on tv I saw recently, Im sorry but that is just sooo wrong! It has no place in the motorsport scene!

[Jazzbass 1]

... instantly recognisable by any fan.

I guess I'm not a fan.