Global imitators

The composition of Ka Mate dates from a time when Nga¯ti Toa faced hostilities from iwi based in the Waikato. A fragile peace had been made with the Waikato iwi, but Te Rauparaha and the other Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira leaders were aware conflict could erupt at any time.

Te Rauparaha was told he was being pursued by a war party from Nga¯ti Te Aho, who wanted revenge for a previous incident involving Nga¯ti Toa Rangatira.

Te Rauparaha was told to hide in a taewa (potato) pit. He is said to have muttered ‘‘Ka mate! Ka mate!’’ under his breath (Will I die!) and ‘‘Ka ora! Ka ora!’’ (or will I live!) as he hid.

Nga¯ti Toa got a lawyer involved to protect their intellectual property in 2011, when English Premier League football side Everton commissioned a haka of its own, based on Ka Mate.

In 2006 Fiat launched a television commercial to advertise its new model, the Idea. In the ad, a group of attractive women converge on the street to perform what is recognised as the Ka Mate haka. At the end, a woman gets into the Fiat Idea and drives away, while a toddler in the back seat cheekily pokes out his tongue.

At the time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned the car company that the advertisement was culturally insensitive, but Fiat went ahead anyway.

The ministry administers the protection of New Zealand’s intellectual property.

A 2010 Japanese ad for Coke Zero found zero tolerance in New Zealand. Both Nga¯ti Toa and the New Zealand Rugby Union spoke out against the ad, which depicted actors dressed up like All Blacks performing haka-like moves in a dance-off against a female ensemble in red corsets.

The advertising copy described the ad as ‘‘a troupe of studs from Kiwiland in the traditional Ma¯ori haka dance’’.