A Maori tribe claiming the haka — a traditional Maori dance that demonstrates the pride, strength and unity of a tribe — New Zealand’s most famous as its heritage told anti-vaccine protesters this Monday (15) to stop using it. tradition to promote your message.
Anti-vaccination protesters staged “Ka Mate,” a Maori haka composed circa 1820 by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe, at their rallies in recent weeks against Covid-19 vaccines and restrictions on the Covid 19 pandemic. new coronavirus.
“We don’t support their position and we don’t want our tupuna or our iwi associated with their messages,” the Ngati Toa, or “iwi” tribe in Maori said in a statement, referring to the people’s ancestry or “tupuna.”
“Our message to protesters who want to use Ka Mate is to use a different haka. We do not endorse the use of Ka Mate for this purpose.”
The dance involves a terrifying display of rhythmic stomping and chanting, eye rolling and tongue thrusting to intimidate the ‘enemy’.
Although there are many forms of haka composed by different tribes for different uses and occasions, the “Ka Mate” is the best known because it is practiced by the All Blacks (New Zealand rugby team) in international matches for decades.
Covid-19 in New Zealand
New Zealand, which has one of the lowest Covid-19 rates in the world, has struggled to fight the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus this year. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern adopted a strategy to live with the virus through blockades and increased vaccination.
Ardern has set a goal of vaccinating 90% of eligible people before ending movement restrictions.
About 81% of the eligible population received two doses of vaccine, but Ardern said on Monday (15) that health officials were struggling to reach some young Maori because of misinformation about the vaccines.
“So it’s not just an access issue. We’re trying to overcome a lot more than that, and from the conversations I’ve had with ISPs, that’s one of the things we’re all up against,” Ardern told state broadcaster TVNZ, referring to the misinformation.
On November 13, 76% of Maori received a dose of the vaccine, while 60% were fully vaccinated.
Authorities reported 173 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, bringing New Zealand’s total number of infections to more than 8,500.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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