New Zealand: Three Maori MPs suspended over 'intimidating' haka
www.bbc.com
"We will never be silenced," says Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who started the protest dance.
  • ToastedRavioli@midwest.social
    12·
    3 days ago

    Perhaps a better way of seeing it is that it is generally something done with regards to respect. In this specific case to show disrespect. But it is not intended as a display of hostility in any case, and is equally as “aggressive” when conveying a positive emotion as it is when conveying a negative one.

    You could think of a sort of comparison in something like singing a song. You could sing a song to pay respect someone. You could also sing a song to mock someone. But either way it would be weird to label singing as a hostile act intended to intimidate someone.

    In this particular case rather than weird its moreso just racist, or at best culturally disrespectful. Its not like New Zealanders dont know what a haka is when theyve coopted it themselves. Theyre using “aggression” to label it as unacceptable behavior for an MP despite knowing full well it isnt aggression nor something they should be intimidated by. Its otherizing a form of cultural expression to avoid criticism

      • ToastedRavioli@midwest.social
        7·
        3 days ago

        Im not Maori so I couldnt say. But I would assume, like singing a song, that it could be either sarcastic or directly disrespectful. I would assume in this case it was not sarcasm, but directly disrespectful, considering she ripped up the bill while performing the haka. Also the severity of the situation in terms of the issue she was protesting.

        If I had to take a guess based on what I know about other Pacific Island cultures, a sarcastic haka is probably not a common thing. But could exist I guess