Haka 

For most visitors to New Zealand, their introduction to the haka is seeing it performed by the All Blacks. In Maori culture, the haka was originally performed by warriors before battle to intimidate the opposition. But today, haka is used as much as part of a formal welcome for distinguished visitors showing how important the person and occasion is.

Maori are the indigenous people – the tangata whenua – of New Zealand and their language and culture is part of all facets of New Zealand life. You’ll notice it in the place names. You’ll hear it in everyday greetings, ‘kia ora’ (hello), ‘ka kite ano’ (until I see you again). And you’ll see it in traditional arts and crafts – carved entrances and meeting houses on the marae and the traditional moko, or facial tattoo, which is undergoing a renaissance.

Maori is an oral culture rich with stories and legends often expressed in song and dance. Visit Rotorua’s Te Puia and you can experience it with a welcome (karanga) onto the marae  where you will be treated to the lush harmonies of the songs, and witness the skill of poi, the fierceness of the haka and the complexity of titiorea (stick games).