Hit in Denmark

Former Ma¯ori Party co-leader Marama Fox thinks what Harnett-Mutu is doing is spot-on.

‘‘I think it’s phenomenal to be encouraging the use of Ma¯ori language and culture worldwide,’’ Fox said.

Ka Mate, was made worldfamous by the All Blacks, and is a taonga (treasure) to Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira. It is covered in New Zealand legislation in the Haka Ka Mate Attribution Act 2014. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) administers the act.

‘‘Like all New Zealand legislation, the act does not apply in overseas jurisdictions, like Denmark. However, anyone can contact Te Ru¯nanga o Toa Rangatira to seek guidance on whether a proposed use of Ka Mate would be considered acceptable or appropriate,’’ an MBIE spokesperson said.

MBIE is statutorily required to review the act from 2019 when it will ‘‘consider whether the interests of Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira relating to Ka Mate are sufficiently protected and, if not, what additional protection may be required’.’

The Government is currently considering how to progress better protection of ma¯tauranga Ma¯ori (Ma¯ori traditional knowledge) and traditional cultural expressions such as Ka Mate both in New Zealand’s intellectual property regime, and in the international intellectual property system.

Kane Harnett-Mutu, who launched the Ma¯ori Haka Movement in Copenhagen in 2007, using the haka in team-building exercises encouraging employees to harness their inner power.