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Origins of Te Ao Haka

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Origins of Te Ao Haka

Read the short text, then answer the questions using evidence and your own reasoning. Haka is diverse: practices and meanings vary between iwi, hapū and performers. Treat specific traditions with care and respect.

Read: Haka has many beginnings

Te Ao Haka can be understood as the world of haka: a rich field of Māori performance and knowledge. Haka brings together words, rhythm, movement, voice and expression. It may be performed by people of different genders and ages, and its forms and meanings are not all the same. There is no single origin story that explains every haka. Māori oral traditions connect haka with atua, ancestors, places and significant events. One well-known pūrākau tells of Tānerore, associated with the shimmering heat of summer. The trembling movement of the air is linked to the wiri, the shaking movement used in performance. This is one explanation within Māori knowledge traditions, not a complete account of all haka. Haka can welcome visitors, mark important occasions, express grief or challenge, celebrate achievement, and carry histories and identity. Some haka have connections with conflict and preparation for battle, but it is inaccurate to describe all haka as war dances. Particular haka belong to particular people and contexts; their histories and meanings should not be assumed from appearance alone. Haka has continued to develop. Māori groups performed haka during the 1888–89 tour of the Native rugby team, and the All Blacks’ use of haka brought it to international sporting audiences in the twentieth century. Kapa haka festivals have also created important spaces for performance, learning and innovation. These newer settings do not replace older traditions: they are part of the changing, living world of haka.

Read closely

Use details from the reading in your answers.

1.In the reading, what does “Te Ao Haka” mean? Give a short explanation that captures more than a word-for-word translation.

2.Which statement best reflects the reading’s account of haka’s origins?

Every haka began as preparation for battle.
There is one agreed origin story for all haka.
Haka has diverse origins and meanings, including connections to Māori oral traditions.
Haka began as entertainment for international sports audiences.

3.The reading links Tānerore with the wiri. Explain that connection in your own words.

4.True or false: The reading says that all haka are war dances. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

5.Match each term with the description given in the reading.

Te Ao Haka
Wiri
Pūrākau

A shaking movement used in performance
The world or field of haka
A Māori narrative or traditional story

6.Name two different purposes haka can have, according to the reading.

Think about change and perspective

Use evidence from the text and explain your thinking. There may be more than one well-supported response.

7.The reading mentions haka performed by the Native rugby team in 1888–89 and its later use by the All Blacks. What do these examples suggest about how haka reached new audiences?

8.A classmate says, “Haka is just a war dance.” Use two details from the reading to explain why this is an incomplete view.

9.Why might it be important to learn who a particular haka belongs to and the context in which it is performed before interpreting it?

10.The text says that kapa haka festivals support learning and innovation, while haka remains connected with older traditions. Explain how both continuity and change can be true at the same time.