Friday Night Lights Meet The Haka

(CBS)  As the Trinity Trojans rush onto the football field every Friday night, the drummers drum, the cheerleaders cheer, and the players … dance?

This is the Haka, an ancient war dance from the fierce Maori tribes of New Zealand, now a football ritual in Texas, CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan reports.

"It helps me a lot to get pumped up," said player Numi Lolohea. "To get motivated to get into the game."

"If you gonna do it you got to be serious," said Mao Leota, another player. "[Its] about getting ready for war."

You gotta get ready for war?

"Yes sir," Leota said.

Polynesian players introduced the Haka two years ago. Trinity won the state championship.

They're still dancing and making bruising hits, and beautiful catches. The announcer might say: "Touchdown, Number 84! Tuomoepa!"

That tongue twister is a Tongan last name.

Number 84's mom, Martha, is convinced the Haka has something to do with it.

"Oh yeah, very, he was very shy at first," she said.

On the field the Haka dance is a source of inspiration for one of the best high school football teams in Texas. Off the field it's a source of pride for a tight-knit community.

From their tiny Polynesian homeland, thousands of Tongans have moved to Texas to take advantage of airline jobs at Dallas-Fort Worth airport - and the flight privileges home that come with them.

So many Tongans that they have their own television program. The Haka is a point of pride, a reassuring symbol that they aren't on the sidelines anymore.

"A reassurance from the outside world that we are part of this community - reassurance that they accept us as we are," said Ilaiasi Ofa of the Voice of Tonga show.

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More at Couric & Co.: Do The Haka!

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And it's not just Texas. The Haka is a worldwide phenomenon.

In New Zealand, the All Blacks rugby team has been doing the dance for decades.

College teams from Hawaii to Utah fire up fans with their own versiona.

And on YouTube, there's even a team of gingerbread men doing the Haka as a commercial for a New Zealand bakery.

No matter who's doing it: It's all out.

Sreenivasan asked one player: "you went hoarse doing it?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't pull a muscle!" one player said.

It just may become the new Friday night lights battle cry.

[kiwidiva-2009]

THSPride1 - no I am not flattered that your school has taken such an important part of my culture and is misrepresenting it so badly in the international media. Do you think that we are some little backward people who are just looking for international recognition? You Americans are brainwashed into thinking that we all want to BE YOU but in fact, some of us don''t! We''re proud of who we are and where we come from and I''d rather you just leave our culture alone than for it to be MISrepresented in this way.

Even the All Blacks rugby team - mentioned in this story have had contention over their use of haka (and they have been doing it for over 100 years!) Just recently - they had a haka written especially for them that represents their pride in their jersey and the honor of representing our country of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Is it so hard for your students, faculty, supporters or anyone associated with your team to create a unique and original way to bring your team together?

I know you aren''t the only ones doing this (I don''t need to come there because I see rampant misuse of my culture right here in Hawai''i) but this is my chance to encourage you and your team to do the right thing - just like the team here at UH - it is my hope that if you know better, you will DO BETTER!!!

No matter how much research your players and coaches did - the bottom line is, it''s still a stolen ritual and I am not honored or flattered by the theft of my culture.

[kiaorahi]

To the Teacher in Euless: My children and I accept your invitation since my children would like the opportunity to educate you all on why this is such a very important issue to them. It is why WARS through out the ages are fought, to protect, preserve and perpetuate what is rightfully theirs.

I have no doubt that when the Trojans first initiated the HAKA that their intentions were honorable. I was told that an elder from the Tongan community first consulted with a Maori elder in order to get permission to perform the Haka, apparently some of your players were/are of Tongan/Maori birthright.

It%u2019s almost like saying to the new Minister in town %u201Cwelcome to our town we are looking forward to hearing you read from the Bible%u201D and after a while of preaching, he starts reading from the Sports Illustrations. That%u2019s how great a job CBS did for you all.

As far as your community is concerned it is sad that it takes another culture to bring you together, however the issue at hand is not your Community, times are changing and they will too. It is not even about the Football Team, I%u2019m sure they can stand-alone if they needed to. It%u2019s about the MAORI HAKA. My children%u2019s & their children%u2019s heritage, that will be passed down to them to do the same as I am doing today. Protect, preserve and perpetuate for generations to come.

Come to my home, step out of your small world, only then will you understand what really is happening here. Naku Noa

[thspride1]

To Kiwidiva: Your culture is wonderful and full of tradition. Take it as an honor that it is being shared with others. THS is not the only school, team, or association using the HAKA. I think you are missing the point of the CBS special. The point was to inform about how a culturally diverse area has come together by this part of your culture. Be proud that your culture is being shared. No one is disrespecting where the HAKA came from. A lot of research was done by the students and the coaches. Be proud that it is being shared in the US and the rest of the World.

[kiwidiva-2009]

To all of you who are associated with the school - you are missing the point! The haka is not just a war dance but is an important part of my culture, steeped in tradition, history and spirituality.

The fact that you are using it as a way to bring your team together and entertain your fans show that you have no respect for the very people and culture that you are ripping off!!

Do you encourage your kids to cheat on their tests? Plagiarize their essays?? That is what they are doing here. They do not have permission from the Ngati Toa tribe - the descendants of Te Rauparaha who wrote the ''ka mate'' haka. This is not a case of ''any "Maori elder" will do!''

We are kaitiaki (guardians) of our culture, which we believe is a taonga (treasure) passed down from our ancestors.

I hear you talk of Polynesian Pride, but when you do the haka without knowing the real meaning, you disrepect my people and my ancestors.

Write something original that is unique to your school, your team and shows your PRIDE!!! Be it in Tongan, English, Spanish - whatever!!! It will have more meaning to you and your fans than a stolen dance.

[thspride1]

Good job CBS! As far as the HAKA goes; I am not from NZ or Tonga. I am a teacher in Euless area. For those of you who are complaining about who is doing the HAKA and whether they have permission to or not. Also for the people who think that Tongans should be or should not being doing the HAKA. I urge you to come to Euless see our community. I am so proud to teach in a culturally diverse area. The HAKA has not only become a source of pride, but it has brought unity through out Trinity High School and the rest of the school district. Let%u2019s be proud that the students of THS are forming a tight community rather than tearing each down because of where the other is from or how they look.

[tiakitehaka]

What the whuck is this ***? How do Tongans get to ''teach'' a haka that isn''t theirs to fricken Americans? What is this *** about? Who do you guys think you are?

What you''re doing is making a mockery and a shamble of the haka. You embarrass me and my people. You actually make me sad, as if I want to cry, because to see you do our haka like his, is tragic. You are all tragic, and because you guys can''t find a culture of your own, or utilise Tongan dance, (seeing that they''re your cultural advisors there at Trinity) then what gives you the right to use Maori performing arts?

Did you ask permission to use Ka Mate? Do you even know what it''s about, or are you not prepared to go down that road of finding out because you''re quite happy with the temporary moment of stimulation and satisfaction it gives you when you ''dance it''... YUK you make me sick.

If you really appreciate the haka, you would ask permission, you would learn it''s significance, you would perform it properly, you would appreciate who it belongs to. You actually wouldn''t peform it because we wouldn''t let you.

Culture sharing my *** ***. All you''re doing is raping my culture. Leave it alone and find your own ''victory dance'' to strut before your stupid game

[kiwidiva-2009]

Too bad that when the Trojans were taking a year to ''learn'' the haka - they didn''t make better use of their time and make up their own ritual which would serve them better than doing a stolen dance.

In Hawai''i, the University of Hawai''i Warriors used to do the ''Kapa O Pango'' haka - written especially for the All Blacks rugby team.

This season, 3 players of Hawaiian descent wrote & choreographed a HA''A - in ''olelo Hawai''i (the Hawaiian language) that more accurately portrays the team and the islands that they represent.

I am Maori and strongly disagree with the inappropriate use of haka by this and other teams around the world - it''s not just being ripped off in America!

UH have done the ''pono'' thing and created their own ritual - are there no Tongans in Texas with enough pride to do something original for this team? Even the Sipi Tau (the ''war dance'' done by Ikale Tahi - Tonga''s national rugby team) would be more appropriate.

These kids really do the haka badly - their pronunciation is terrible and they perform it like they''re in a race! I would rather people in America didn''t know anything about Maori than to have us portrayed incorrectly like this on the CBS Evening news!

[kiaorahi]

In response to lolvot:
I am a Maori Mother of 5 who lives in Provo Utah. I have duel citizenship and love both countries. However, my tupuna%u2019s (ancestors) lie in NZ. On my Fathers side, I am from the Rangitane Ki Wairau Tribe in the south and Raukawa/Tainui in the North. On my mums side I am from the Kai Tahu tribe in the South and Kahungunu ki Wairarapa in the North. At the age of 58, I am considered an elder with in my community and those I visit accordingly. It is my responsibility as such, to be a Kaitiaki, (Caretaker) of our cultural Histories that have been passed down to me by my elders.

To educate a few people, Polynesian is a word that was created by the world of Academia and means %u201CPeople of Many Islands.%u201D If you ask a Maori what they are, they will say they are MAORI not Polynesian I know my cousins they two will answer, they are Samoan, Tahitian, etc;

As far as the HAKA is concerned, IT IS INDIGENOUS TO OUR MAORI CULTURE and is a part of our Cultural Heritage. Not Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian etc. MAORI I apologies to my cousins from the south pacific who will understand why I feel I need to clarify this with a few people.

As far as your comment %u201CHaka in Polynesia is a generic word for telling story with body movements when accompany by vocal chanted sound%u201D It is clear you know nothing about our island cultures so please do not assume to tell me about what my MAORI CULTURE means or should be doing.

To the Trojans KIA KAHA(Be Strong)

[ffra78]

thluten said:

"There is no All-Black team that competes in New Zealand."

The All-Black team competes annually in New Zealand in the Tri-Nations Series against Australia and South Africa.

It also plays at irregular intervals against countries such as Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Japan, Argentina, France, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Lions (British Isles).......the list is almost endless!


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Posted by juwboy at 05:49 AM : Nov 14, 2007

also i think that this is a maori culture and this must be close.
don''t copy other hymn.. be ourselves with only our internal effort.
this could make great our texas team

[aklnz-2009]

I understand that their was no disrespect intended from these boys at Trinity if any given. My mother is maori and father tongan. I was born in NZ and grew up around the haka. When I first saw them perform the haka, I was excited to see it but a bit disappointed in the way it was done, rushed and no true knowledge as to why and what they were doing. As time''s gone by, I see now how these boys respect the haka. As a maori seeing it for the first time you''d put your head down not knowing the passion that these boys put into it and that the respect and knowldege is now there.
I know that there is alot of mix up because the tongans are well known at this school and being familiar with the haka brought it into the program, so if you don''t know the haka they''re the first ones you would associate it with.

There are 3 boys there now that are of maori descent. It''d be nice to see a maori lead it at least once. Someone said the dance is polynesian and that we all share, true. But, you have your tongan pride, nz pride, so on and so on, if it''s from there you want it to be known as such, tongan or maori, correct? Both maori and tongan blood run in my veins, I grew up in NZ doing the haka and other maori dances, I won''t do a tongan dance, in respect that I feel I can''t perform it correctly.

Like everything else, until you''ve been told or taught you don''t know. But when you go on television like that CBS, Know what you''re saying before you say it.

Good luck Trinity!