Ka Mate is
Warrior traditions meet half a world away when Ma¯ori ritual is taught in the home of the Vikings, writes Maddison Northcott.
KANE Harnett-Mutu squares up to haka, staunch, barefoot, his hairs standing upright on goosebumped forearms. His voice vibrates but never falters as he calls to his ancestors 18,000 kilometres away.
The mana Harnett-Mutu feels is deeply ingrained and fiercely loyal. It’s a pride the Whakataneborn Ma¯ori wants to share with Denmark, his home for the past 17 years.
After decades working as a corporate lawyer he had ‘‘reached the end of [his] tether’’ and was desperate for a lifestyle change. Around this time an emotional haka at a Kiwi wedding blew up online, and Harnett-Mutu was invited on a Danish morning show to perform Ka Mate and speak about his Ma¯ori heritage. The clip was the most viewed segment in the show’s 19-year history.
He woke up to find his Facebook accounted inundated with more than 500 messages from people keen to know more, and Harnett-Mutu cultivated the idea of profiling and celebrating Aotearoa and Ma¯ori culture throughout Scandinavia.
‘‘I had the realisation that what we have in haka is so powerful, so emotive. There’s talk in Denmark of a Viking revival and haka is giving a pathway to that history and ancestry. It’s an ancient art form, there’s an emotional link and a bond there.’’
Ka mate is known the world over largely thanks to the All Blacks. Written by Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha in the 1820s, it’s been appropriated by companies all over the world in recent years, forcing the iwi to enshrine their intellectual property over the haka in law.
Harnett-Mutu launched the Ma¯ori Haka Movement in Copenhagen in 2007, and is believed to be the only person in mainland Europe to teach authentic haka.
Over the past 11 years, it has developed into a pathway for businesses to build bonds and overcome challenges. The underlying philosophy thrived on vocal and co-ordination skills and a strong physical form to champion the mana of Ma¯oridom.
Although deeply rewarding, the work was not always easy. Harnett-Mutu was invited to a major business conference, only to find the company had been sold, jobs were on the line and morale was at rock-bottom.
Mistrust was rife and his usual approach went out the window.
‘‘I had them take off their shoes and socks and go outside. I built trust with every individual, spoke about the hongi, the history, the respect and tried to take away their fear and slowly they opened themselves up physically and emotionally, together.
‘‘They left feeling better about each other, and for that day, that was enough.’’
Harnett-Mutu charges $133 for a six-week course in which he teaches Danes to use their ‘‘body and voice as tools to access inner power’’.
He said the company was ‘‘ruffling a few feathers’’ back home – but he hadn’t encountered any negativity, instead garnering deep respect and appreciation from his Ngati Kahu whanau and elders.
He wanted those who thought he was misappropriating the haka for financial gain to know first and foremost, the haka was a ‘‘precious gift’’ that was to be treasured. The responsibility to respect and care for that gift was a role he took extremely seriously.
‘‘Every company wants to be brave, to be strong and confident and to stand up to the competition. That is haka. If we didn’t want people to hear it, why did we make it so loud?’’
If we didn’t want people to hear it, why did we make it so loud?’ KANE HARNETT-MUTU