Why, oh why do a few precious Maori get so bloody precious about the haka?
And so litigious?
The Brits have done them no good, introducing an otherwise wonderful legal system to this country.
At least one Maori is now getting uppity about plans by one of England’s top premiership soccer clubs is to perform a flippant haka before its season-opening game this week, “despite legal protests that it insults Maori.”
The lawyer spearheading Maori intellectual property claims is writing to Everton Football Club, warning that its “bastardised” haka trespasses on Maori rights and disrespects their heritage.
But the club is unrepentant about its use of the “he ha” haka, part of the team’s new “All Black” look and unveiled three days ago with its team strip.
Hired Maori dancers will perform the haka as Everton and Arsenal run on to Goodison Park in Liverpool on Saturday, the opening day of England’s Premier League club competition.
If the haka is performed in defiance of the threat, the club will have a certain Maui Solomon to reckon with.
Solomon is a bloke whose blood pressure can be quickly raised.
Intellectual property lawyer Maui Solomon said he was appalled by the haka.
“I think it’s showing cultural disrespect to Maori. People overseas need to know Maori culture isn’t just up for grabs.”
But if cultural disrespect nonsense was all there is to it, then the answer is clear.
Retaliation.
A piss-taking Morris dance before the start of an All Black test would do the trick. Preferably against the Poms.
But Solomon is earning his keep – among other things – by representing three iwi in an intellectual property rights claim before the Waitangi Tribunal, and he warbles about the Pommie soccer club damaging to New Zealand’s “cultural brand”.
“This is the thin edge of the wedge. People all over the world are appropriating Maori culture for commercial purposes.”
Everton officials should have checked with the New Zealand Rugby Union or a Maori authority first, Solomon said.
Who’s to say they didn’t check with a Maori authority?
The haka was to have been performed by Maori – after all – and surely these performers are authority enough to know what is acceptable and what is not.
Hi,
Lawyers these days are the same everywhere – always ready to claim a wrong, which they hope to make some money out of. Over here in Britain we generally blame the American influence, so it is interesting that you blame us for introducing the legal system!
If you feel you need to hire some (genuine) Morris Dancers to perform the piss-take at the start of the next All Blacks game, we’d be glad to take on the task – and we’re sufficiently qualified to know what degree of piss-taking is acceptable without infringing our British cultural inheritance, or upsetting people!
All the best, or if you prefer “wassail”, Alan