5 Reasons Why Haka Teambuilding can be Tacky

5 Reasons Why Haka Teambuilding Can be Tacky
For 10 years I’ve delivered this activity and pretty much seen it all when it comes to teaching non-Maori the haka. Done right, this activity can be one of the most uplifting and inspiring teambuilding products around. Done wrong it can go in the complete opposite direction. here's 5 reasons why haka teambuilding can get tacky.

1. Not Enough Time Allocated.
Most organisations will try and jam a haka session in 40-45 minutes and expect to get the same results as an All-Blacks haka. It may look easy, but Maori spend their lifetimes learning this art form and while time restrictions are always going to be an issue, you could spend 40 minutes with a group just trying to get them to stamp their foot in time. Anybody that has ever worked with group unity and group rhythm knows that this does not always come naturally for everyone, and I’ll be so bold as to offer a stereotype here, especially Pakeha (European/Western people)!

2. Treating it as a Joke
While I always like to encourage fun and enjoyment when teaching the haka, it has to strike up the right balance between having a good time and really getting the meaning across as to what the Haka is really about (see below for meaning of the haka). One of the great things about the haka is its ability to encourage individual excellence within the group environment. You have the ability to stand out and show who you are and what you are about, but, this is not for self-indulgent and self promoting reasons, it is for the pride of the group. It is not individualistic glory, but group glory. It is this combined energy of the group that gives impact to haka.

3. Pressure from the Client
There has been a number of times that I have had pressure from the client to compromise our cultural integrity. One of the usual ways this is asked of me is to draw ‘moko’ or the facial tattoos on the non-Maori group. The ta moko is a very scared and special part of Maori culture and is treated with dignity and respect. When you put a 5 minute scribble on a non-Maori for the sake of theatrics that is exactly what you will get.

4. Not Using Woman Properly
The worst that can be done is that the woman are taught to haka like men. It becomes one of the most cringing moments for Maori to see woman acting like men in the haka. Often haka trainers don’t include the woman enough either. It is a common myth that the haka is purely the domain of men. Yes it is true that the haka is a very male dominated domain, woman can participate. In my own particular tribe Ngatiporou, we have haka that are specifically written for woman. The haka activity has to have more involvement from the woman. Too often the woman are put in the back row and just made to stand there.

5. Mocking Costumes
Dressing the group up in mock uniforms is a sure way to get the activity treated for ridicule. I’m all for team uniforms, but putting non-Maori in grass skirts and traditional costume doesn’t work. It goes back to the reason number two and become comedic. Instead it is better to use uniforms that are more appropriate for the group, such as t-shirts and bandanas.

I have to point the fingers at ourselves – the Maori, for not always maintaining the authenticity and quality that the haka deserves. Increasingly haka teambuilding is becoming popular, especially in the U.K and all to often the haka and its integrity is compromised to fit in with mainstream teambuilding practises. Maori haka trainers must make a stand and not get pushed around by pushy corporate clients.

The other main point I’m trying to make here is we don’t want to teach them how to be a Maori, but instead to teach them valuable Maori insights and experiences that they can take with them into their own lives and cultures. And the haka is a great vehicle to help assist with those teachings.

If you have ever had the privilege to be in a moment where a spontaneous haka has broken out and the tingles fall down you, and completely overwhelmed, then you have experienced the essence of the haka.

The haka means a lot of things, but very simply is used in the past to provide a team focus for war parties. And it does this in many ways;
1. Unity; it unites the group to move and think in the same way
2. Energy; it creates an energy and a fire within like no other
3. Purpose; the words, the action and the movement of the haka tall help to determine the purpose of the group.
Today the haka is used mainly to honour people and occasions. New visitors are honoured with a haka, dignitaries, people who have passed on. The Warriors Way – Corporate Teambuilding http://warriorteambuilding.com/
takes the utmost care in delivering authentic indigenous teambuilding activities. The haka deserves the utmost respect and when it is treated as so it can be one of the most inspiring teambuilding activities out there.

HI AUE HI!

The Warriors Way teambuidling uses indigenous philosophies for corporate environments.
http://warriorteambuilding.com/

Kiri Dell
Ngati Porou
Ruatoria
New Zealand
info@warriorteambuilding.com
http://warriorteambuilding.com/

This release was published on openPR.