Learn the Maori Haka | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Learn the Maori Haka

Koa Bear said:
I can understand and agree not to many people want to do this in miami.It is a cultural tradition so maybe the polynesians on the dolphin squad can do it themselves.It is done in hawaii to bring the team together before the game in unity.It helps prepare mentally and spiritually for alot of the players.It is done more for tradition,pride,and team unity for UH Warriors then anything else.It also get the team and fans really pumped up.It's a war dance.It helps some players lose all their butterflies and fears before the game and just fills them up with inner strenght and pride to take on all challengers!!!
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I hope they do whatever the heck they want...If it gets Satele/Mauia/Solia etc motivated to smack people around more power to em.
 
Koa Bear said:
I can understand and agree not to many people want to do this in miami.It is a cultural tradition so maybe the polynesians on the dolphin squad can do it themselves.It is done in hawaii to bring the team together before the game in unity.It helps prepare mentally and spiritually for alot of the players.It is done more for tradition,pride,and team unity for UH Warriors then anything else.It also get the team and fans really pumped up.It's a war dance.It helps some players lose all their butterflies and fears before the game and just fills them up with inner strenght and pride to take on all challengers!!!
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I totally understand and respect that. :) I just really don't think it would be a good idea for the Miami Dolphins.
 
Vertical Limit said:
God no. That is straight up embarrassing. I can see the media making fun of us for this, and I see Dan Marino making fun of us with his buddy Sharpe.

This isn't a ****ing movie like "Remember the Titans" or something. Stop trying to turn us all samoan for christ sakes, I got nothing against them but I seriously doubt the chances of Zach and Jason doing this.

Just go out their and prepare like a real damn team.

If we lose after putting up that show, that would be even more embarrassing.
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Lol, you just called my culture embarrassing. You don't have a clue the passion that these guys have when representing their culture, creed, and family. You don't have a clue.


By the way, Mauia aint Maori, he's Samoan. Tala Esera is part-Maori but nobody else on this team is.
 
What is Maori if you dont mind me asking? As for the Haka, if our team had the passion to do it, I think it would be awesome.
 
Hagan82 said:
What is Maori if you dont mind me asking? As for the Haka, if our team had the passion to do it, I think it would be awesome.
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The Maori people are the indigenous people of my country, New Zealand. Our ancestral roots have actually been traced back long through time to the Hawaiian people, amongst others, but the Haka is a traditional Maori dance.

I'd be all for the team doing it, so long as they did it seriously and knew what it meant. It should be about passion and about welcoming the opponent to battle, but also intimidating them to shivers. Knowing some of the divas in the NFL, there would be a lot of disrespect for anyone who performed it, but then they'd probably regret it later on.

[youtube]CR2YMffHK6g[/youtube]

Hell yeah, baby.
 
Thanks Hysterkill; interesting cultural history and one that I had no knowledge of. You make good points about doing the Haka in the NFL; If down the road our team did it the right way, it would also mean that our team had tremendous chemistry, and that the folks to lead the Haka had grown into team leaders. I'm really excited to see these guys with the pads on...you know they'll be scrapping to put a hat on someone.
 
HysterikiLL said:
Lol, you just called my culture embarrassing. You don't have a clue the passion that these guys have when representing their culture, creed, and family. You don't have a clue.


By the way, Mauia aint Maori, he's Samoan. Tala Esera is part-Maori but nobody else on this team is.
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I'm very slightly confused (admittedly, I know very little about UH).

Are many of the UH players Maori?

Please be aware that many of the other "Pacific Rim" countries do a similar, but culturally very different dance. Samoa, Fiji, Tonga etc.

Ka Mate Ka Mate Ka ora ka ora.
 
elliott said:
I'm very slightly confused (admittedly, I know very little about UH).

Are many of the UH players Maori?

Please be aware that many of the other "Pacific Rim" countries do a similar, but culturally very different dance. Samoa, Fiji, Tonga etc.

Ka Mate Ka Mate Ka ora ka ora.
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Yeah the Haka is performed in most Polynesian cultures, especially relating to sports. They aren't very different culturally, they still stand for the same values of unity in battle.

I'm not sure how many UH players are Maori but I know the Pac-10 and WAC have traditionally been very good at scouting the Pacific -- Tonga, Samoa, and New Zealand especially. There are a lot of players with those roots that may or may not have been born here, I'm not sure. I know Utah, Oregon, Arizona and Hawaii seem to field the most Maori and non-Hawaiian Polynesians.

I also live in the same suburb that Riki Ellison grew up in. He's Maori and some of you may remember him for winning 3 super bowls with the 49ers and a Nat'l championship with USC. I've met him before, he's a cool guy. His son is going to SC this year.
 
Oh, and to answer a few questions.

The haka (in it's commonest form) is a Maori war dance. There are many different versions of it, but the Ka mate version is the most common (have a look on youtube for it).

Maoris are from New Zealand and hence the NZ rugby team do the haka before every game.

Other Pacific Islands also do their own versions of a war dance.

For example, here is Tonga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJEidTOI5iA&mode=related&search=

Fiji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7yOL3BoLRY&mode=related&search=

Samoa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbyD_N0UssE


This is the more modern New Zealand haka. It's quite contentious in rugby circles because right at the end, the players make a slitting of the throat signal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cle20lQg0Qs&mode=related&search=

This is the traditions NZ haka. Notice Kees Meuwss (the big lad) getting really into it. He loves it!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCsEQ15L4&mode=related&search=

In rugby, the opposition are expected to stand there patiently and watch it, however occasionally the passion gets to a few players and a few stare outs occur and players get very very close to each other. I remember many years ago when the England players lined up in a big line and marched towards it ending up face to face. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCsEQ15L4&mode=related&search=

As you can tell... I am friends with a number of professional Pacific Rim rugby players!
 
HysterikiLL said:
Yeah the Haka is performed in most Polynesian cultures, especially relating to sports. They aren't very different culturally, they still stand for the same values of unity in battle.
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Yeh. I would agree. Culturally was a bad word for me to use.

To sum up my feelings on it, fair play if a team with obvious links to maoris (such as NZ rugby, or UH football as it seems) would do it, but not the Dolphins. I would feel embarrassed to be honest.

And it would look a shambles quite probably.

Now... a bit of I will survive line dancing wouldn't go amiss!
 
elliott said:
In rugby, the opposition are expected to stand there patiently and watch it, however occasionally the passion gets to a few players and a few stare outs occur and players get very very close to each other. I remember many years ago when the England players lined up in a big line and marched towards it ending up face to face.
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:lol: That reminds me of one of my favorite moments that happened two years ago. We were playing Australia in the ANZAC Rugby League test and Willie Mason (who is actually NZ born and part-Maori, but plays for Australia) flat out disrespected our haka by yelling explicit phrases at the team. Shortly after he got his ribs broken.

Check it out.

[youtube]KlpnZyKtb1I[/youtube]
 
HysterikiLL said:
:lol: That reminds me of one of my favorite moments that happened two years ago. We were playing Australia in the ANZAC Rugby League test and Willie Mason (who is actually NZ born and part-Maori, but plays for Australia) flat out disrespected our haka by yelling explicit phrases at the team. Shortly after he got his ribs broken.

Check it out.
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That is quite funny. In fairness, it's a terrible effort at the haka. But I do hate Willie Mason. He's just a stupid muppet. Sums up rugby league to be honest!

I have to say, looking at it purely from a rugby POV, I have no problem disrespecting it. I don't mean this to sound rude, but if I want to respect their culture, I'll go to a museum. At that moment, I'm on a rugby pitch and waiting to beat the hell out of someone, yet I have to wait whilst someone is allowed to get all hyped up whilst we have to stand in a line.

If I was the opposition, I would flat out march at it. Get some animosity going.

However, look at Brian wotsit for the Lions. He tried to respect the haka. It got misunderstood and he got cheap shotted by Keven Mealamu and Umaga.
 
cnc66 said:
and you are comparing their culture to the nazi's which makes what he said true, even if it was out of line.
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No, I am not. Geeesss cnc, lighten up man. I said the image of the 'phins, in pregame, doing the maori haaka is a ridiculous mental picture. I find it equally as ridiculous as the phins, in pregame warmups, goose-stepping. That is not comparing Maori culture with nazism. To compare that culture with nazism would be to say that something about their culture is similar to nazism. I did no such a thing and have entertained no such ludicrous thought.
 
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