Haka to teach story of virus
The nation’s experience of disruption and uncertainty through the coronavirus emergency has been commemorated in a haka.
Ma¯ori performing arts teacher Whaitiri Poutawa has been hosting online kapa haka sessions every weekday from his Lower Hutt home since the beginning of the alert level 4 lockdown. He composed ‘‘Mate Karona e!’’ while in lockdown to make Ma¯ori story-telling relevant to his students.
‘‘Haka is about telling our stories and a lot of the haka people know or are taught are old.
‘‘To be able to write, teach and perform while still living that experience – it’s a way of documenting a part of New Zealand’s history that all the students are living through.’’
The three parts of the haka cover the arrival of the virus in New Zealand, the lockdown, and the key messages about staying safe.
‘‘This haka is for everyone to learn, teach and share.’’
Poutawa usually teaches kapa haka at schools, but said since moving lessons online he’d noticed parents and people from overseas were joining in as well.
Throughout levels 4 and 3, he had live online audiences of between 600 and 1200 people from as far away as Australia, Japan, the United States and Norway. His videos have had as many as 42,000 views.
He said he was initially sceptical about moving the lessons online because it was less personal, but the reach of his lesson was now far wider.
‘‘My biggest audience has been non-Ma¯ori – it seems to be because there’s a sense of confidence with being able to [practice kapa haka] in your own home.’’
With his last online lesson yesterday morning, he would be returning to delivering lessons in schools.
He was sad to be signing off, but was pleased to have been able to bring Ma¯ori storytelling to so many households, he said.