A very large chunk of our identity as Kiwi’s, is Māori culture because it derives from this very land we call home, Aotearoa New Zealand. One of the elements of Māori culture is Kapa Haka and in my opinion probably one of the most enjoyable elements because it’s so inclusive, adaptable and educational. Therefore, I think it is good for us.
Kapa Haka is more than just performing. It tells stories of Māori history and legends through song and dance. At school, we haka about our local iwi so it’s a great way to learn about my surroundings and connect with my community, especially because I’m not from around here. It’s an opportunity to also learn te reo Māori and to incorporate new kupu into our everyday conversations to form a deeper connection into our identity as Kiwi’s. If you think about it, English is an official language worldwide but no other country in the world speaks te reo Māori so it’s cool to have something that just belongs to us Kiwi’s.
While feeding the mind with knowledge of Māori culture through performing Kapa Haka, you can squeeze a bit of cardio in, and get a full body workout with the physicality aspect of the performance. Some say it’s a fun form of exercise to maintain your stamina and fitness. You can even level up your workout and gain coordination skills, by adding props such as poi and taiaha. A good sign of a haka well done is hand prints over your body and breathlessness.
Now that we have fed the mind (hinengaro) and excercised the body (tinana), how does Kapa Haka benefit the soul (wairua)? Personally, this is the aspect of Kapa Haka that I benefit from the most as a kid. When I’m up on that stage with my group, I feel so incredibly empowered, so tremendously supported and such immense aroha from my Kapa Haka team, my kaiako, my tūpuna and whānau that I represent. My confidence grows from their energy and wairua. I love the feeling of unity I get when I’m with my Kapa Haka group because I know that I can count on the people around me to carry me through the performance. And finally, when it’s all done, an insane feeling of accomplishment washes over me and it’s proud moments like this that help build up my mana. It is with the confidence that I gain from leading a haka and being part of a team, that has boosted and strengthened my leadership skills and encouraged me to to apply that into other aspects of my learning journey.
On the whole, Kapa Haka provides positive attributes regarding the three main aspects of our wellbeing - mind, body and spirit. Therefore, Kapa Haka is good for us.
Nice job Cruze I really like it how you said that Kapa Haka is more than performing you said it tells story's of Māori history and legends through, Nice job Cruze keep up the great work like always.
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