Do You Wanna Dance?

If you've been reading this blog, you already know a fair bit about the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. If you've heard of the All Blacks, you've probably heard of the haka (I mentioned it here). The haka, in a word, is awesome.

The haka is a traditional dance of the Māori and other Polynesian peoples. After the national anthems are played at international rugby games, teams are given the chance to perform haka as if preparing for war. It's been argued that this gives Polynesian teams an unfair advantage, which may be true. There really isn't an equivalent with which non-Polynesian nations can respond. But I love it. It creates an atmosphere unlike any other. The All Blacks yell, stomp, and glare at their opponents, and then the TV broadcast shows replays, giving every extended tongue its due. The pregame leadup keeps your mind buzzing; the national anthems might stir your heart or even your tear glands; but the haka makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck and forcefully tells you IT IS ON.

But here's what really gets me. Like any "new world" country, New Zealand has a history marked with conflict between European colonists and native peoples. The Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement between the Māori and settlers that was signed over 150 years ago, remains a hotly-debated topic. The same issues of apology, reconciliation, and restitution that are debated in Canada, the US (less often), and Australia (even less often, from what I've heard), are hot topics in New Zealand. But in spite of that familiar divide, every time the All Blacks play a match, pasty white farmer's sons stand up next to dreadlocked Polynesians and scream a challenge to their opponents in Māori.

There is no equivalent to this in North America. The traditions of native peoples are much less visible to us for a variety of reasons, and our emphasis on sportsmanship and broad participation would discourage war dances. But more broadly, the haka of the All Blacks is a symbol that unites multiple pieces of New Zealand's identity and makes something altogether unique. And awesome.

The video below is of the haka that the All Blacks performed before playing Australia in last year's world cup semifinal. Watch it through, then look back at 0:06 to 0:10. On the left of the screen is Ali Williams, a long-tenured All Black of English and Scottish descent. He's warming up by sticking out his tongue and rolling his eyes back, the facial expression that is key to the haka itself. At the same time, by being the big white guy that he is, he's neatly summarizing my point about how this dance is uniquely New Zealand. Thanks, Ali.