One Haka to rule them all

Culture shock: One Haka to rule them all

By: Brad Hurvitz

Posted: 5/11/10

This past week at school we saw the small and proud Native American community come together and share their culture by sharing their food, dance and music.

We were gifted with a display of colorful culture that most of us who live in America unfortunately have never experienced and have very little knowledge of.

I myself cannot claim to be very knowledgeable about the people who lived here prior to our murderous arrival on this continent.

I was sad to see people casually walking by this beautiful display and not even pausing to watch for a few brief moments as Native American men danced to the melodies vocalized by their nearby brethren.

The performers were decorated in colorful paint, large headdresses and adorning bushels of pine branches that were flapping upon their backs as the metallic bells around their waste jingled with every rhythmic lunge they took.

Our native culture is different and beautiful, and yet we don’t seem to be interested in it unless it is paraphrased with large blue people and composed in a technological 3-D format.

America is not the only country that has ushered our natives into the category of black sheep – there are others. There are also some countries that have embraced their native people and shared the land with them while absorbing their culture and blending it with their own.

While studying abroad in Australia I was keenly aware of the Aboriginal people who were dressed in their original attire near the Sydney Opera House: They were playing the didgeridoo and asking for money.

It was bothersome and it reminded me of America. Very few of the original land dwellers have merged into the Australian society. In fact, it is a big deal when a footy (rugby) team has an Aboriginal player on their squad.

Their way of living has been made into a tourist destination, and the pieces of their culture have been made into cheap touristy knick-knacks that can be purchased at the airport.

A group of friends and I visited Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the center of the Aussie outback. It is known as the largest monolith in the world and will undoubtedly be on the cover of any “Visit Australia” pamphlet found in a travel store.

The giant red rock is a sacred destination for the Aboriginal tribe who have lived in that area for thousands of years, yet the government has taken it over and – against the will of the Aboriginal people – allows people to climb it. This is rather similar to the disrespect our country has shown our original inhabitants.

Just across the Tasman Sea you will find New Zealand, a country boasting a rich mix of Maori and European cultures. The country, known for its beautiful scenery (displayed in “Lord of the Rings”) is clearly dominated by its 100 million sheep, a fact that the neighboring Aussies will hilariously point out at any chance they get to poke fun of the Kiwis.

The most interesting part of New Zealand is how the Maori culture has impacted the country. In several countries – many in the South Pacific and Americas – explorers arrived at the shores of the “undiscovered” land and immediately began to dominate the local people.

Having more warfare technology than the scantily clad natives, it was not a difficult fight to win. It has been said that when some explorers arrived on the shores of New Zealand and attempted to take over the local inhabitants, the Maori people performed their Haka and demolished their opposition – and were even said to have eaten them after they won the battle.

The Haka is a war dance, done in unison, involving many aggressive shouts, angry facial expressions and violent slaps (again, in unison) to one’s own body. It is fascinating to watch, and frightening to oppose.

Have you watched New Zealand’s national rugby team, The All Blacks, play rugby before? Most of the players are massive, having a much larger natural frame than most Europeans, especially those who have been stuck on a boat for several months prior to their arrival.

I spent three weeks in New Zealand, driving around the South Island in a camper van with five of my closest friends. The Kiwis were some of the oddest people I have met in all of my travels, but they have a lot of respect for the Maori traditions and people who live upon their shared island.

The national sport is undoubtedly rugby union. There are several teams scattered around their small country, each team having several Maori players. Some of these Maori athletes are very popular with everybody in the country and their posters certainly grace the walls of countless hopeful teenagers.

The beautiful Maori culture and traditions have many similarities to the Native Americans who originally inhabited the land that we call our own. They value and respect the land and ocean and all of the living beings that live upon the earth.

They are emotionally in touch with whales and often tell stories of their ancestors’ relationships with the giant creatures. In my eyes, the familial Maori greeting of touching foreheads while holding each other’s heads is one of the most intimate and meaningful ways to embrace a loved one.

The people from the European culture and native Maori culture have had their feuds in the past and will likely continue to in the future, but that is representative of any two distinctly different cultures that live near each other.

The way they have learned to accept one another and live amongst one another – although it has proven to be challenging at times – is still an important example to the countries that have virtually shunned the native cultures and replaced them with their own.

What would our country look like if we had learned to live with the native people who originally inhabited this land? I bet it would have spiced up our salad bowl of cultures!

The expression “proud to be an American” would have an entirely new meaning and value.

It felt good to see the way the Maori people adapted to society while still maintaining their own culture and even influencing the overall culture around them.

Perhaps the Native American story would have been different if they had naturally been bigger and better able to defend themselves. The fact still remains: It is in the past and there is nothing we can do to correct that.

Yet, it must also be said, the Native American culture is still alive and extremely interesting. But first, you have to stop blindly walking by; open your eyes and observe it.