The All Blacks;
it is nearly impossible to walk the streets of Wellington and not observe
either a shop carrying their merchandise, a person proudly rocking one of their
jerseys or a replay of their last game streaming on a restaurant’s TV. The high
level of excitement behind the All Blacks, “New Zealand’s national team and
highest level of rugby representation available in the country” (All Blacks),
is both a testament to the rugby fanatics of New Zealand and goes beyond in
expressing the passion and energy of the national pride of the people. However,
what is sometimes overlooked in the sport are the historical aspects of the
game, including arguably the most exhilarating aspect, the Haka, which is performed even before the match starts.
The All Blacks perform
the Haka – a Maori challenge or posture dance – before each match (The Haka). This
common practice before a rugby match has been dated for over a century, first
being recorded by the 1888-89 New Zealand Native football team. “It is a
history rich in folklore and legend that reflects Maori heritage” (The Haka). Because
the history of the Haka has been associated with the symbol of power, including
during combat, the modern All Blacks perform the Haka both with passion and
pride. This act not only increases the awareness of the Maori culture but also
reclaims the “dignity and mystique attached to this traditional art form” (The Haka).
During our final
night in the beautiful city of Wellington, we experienced the introduction of
an alternative lesson by our Teaching Assistant, Scott Tiemann. Scott was able
to leverage his experiences as a musician to both introduce Maori music and
explain it in distinguishing terms in order to contrast it with their musical
European counterparts. We learned through musical expression and performance,
such as the Haka, that the cultural component of music is not only cherished in
memory by New Zealanders, it is also openly expressed as a form of celebration
and dedication to their ancestors. While the hurricane-like weather outside our
hostel dampened our moods and delayed our flight, it also directly led to a
blessing of being able to stay inside and create our own music (using makeshift
“spears” constructed from rolled up flyers).
Specifically, we
learned about the sentinel alarm, which was first observed by Captain Cook, and
composed of “microtones,” which are the smallest steps in music (imagine the
difference between the sound of a black key on a piano and the next direct white
key). The alarm has a very small range in terms of high-low scale. Moving on, right
before our interactive pseudo-spears interactive activity, we discussed the
Haka and learned that the chant is meant to be continuous and should not allow gaps
for breathe. Curiously, in watching the All Blacks perform the Haka on YouTube,
it is observed that there are clearly distinguishable gaps. However, this can
be explained because it cannot be expected for a team of 20 men to continuously
chant over the crowd noise of 20,000 fans. Surprisingly, none of the music was
ever written down and still was effectively passed down through generations. However,
the Haka should not be thought of as a “primitive” form of music. It is possible that the first
Europeans most likely viewed the Haka as obscurely as the Maori viewed the European’s
violins and Beethoven.
Apirana T. Ngata
writes in his poem, ‘A Scene from the
Past:’ “Traitors? When our ears are ringing, / Filled with echoes from the
dead? / Deaf to all these chords alone / Make heavenly music, penetrating /
Souls by strangeness long since deadened, / Now in sympathy vibrating.” Ngata
appears to painfully express his emotions about the increasing separation
between the culture of the Maori people and the discredit of that same culture
in historical interpretations by the Pakeha. The “past” Maori way of life and
habits are portrayed as weak and fragile, at least from the Pakeha
point-of-view (“Your iron-clad, our humble reed,”). However, Ngata is attempting
to bring the awareness of those practices, such as the Haka, back to
recognition of significance and to attempt to breathe into it a new life. Ngata’s
work serves as a powerful reminder for everyone, especially as college students
about to enter the “real world”, to not vilify cultural practices that may initially appear
different.
"All Blacks." The Team. Team All Blacks,
n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2016.
"The Haka." New Zealand Maori Culture, , New
Zealand Haka. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2016.
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