haka
Enable an agent to recognise a haka, assess its preparation or performance in context, and determine appropriate next actions using evidence from its practitioners and associated communities.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise a haka, assess its preparation or performance in context, and determine appropriate next actions using evidence from its practitioners and associated communities.
A haka is a Māori ceremonial performance of chant, posture, stamping, body percussion, and facial expression used to welcome, challenge, mourn, celebrate, or assert group identity, rather than a generic 'war dance'.
It can be Identify a haka and connect a rendition to its composition, version, and teaching lineage.; Compare renditions and flag differences in words, movements, or sequencing for practitioner interpretation.; Assess suitability for an occasion using the stated kaupapa and relevant community guidance.; Prepare a rehearsal plan from a teacher's assessment of pronunciation, movement, coordination, and meaning.; Identify unresolved conditions before performance, adaptation, recording, or distribution.; Document completion, departures from the intended rendition, and practitioner feedback..
Distinguishing features
Check identification by knowledgeable practitioners and the relationship between words, vocal delivery, and bodily expression; shouting, stamping, or facial expression alone is insufficient.
Distinguish an individual haka from kapa haka as a broader performing-arts context that includes other forms. [Te Ara: What is kapa haka?](https://teara.govt.nz/en/kapa-haka/page-1)
Do not require a warlike purpose or sporting setting: haka can express welcome, praise, mourning, and other purposes. [Te Ara: What is kapa haka?](https://teara.govt.nz/en/kapa-haka/page-1)
Check whether the record concerns a composition, rehearsal, complete enactment, excerpt, or imitation before treating two records as the same haka occurrence.
Use locally supported classification rather than treating one familiar haka or one movement pattern as the universal template.
Scope
+ Identification of a haka, its named composition, and locally recognised versions
+ Relationships to composers, iwi, hapū, teachers, and performing groups
+ Relationships between words, vocal delivery, movement, and intended meaning
+ Occasion, kaupapa, addressees, and placement within surrounding proceedings
+ Preparation, performance state, and practitioner assessment
+ Context-specific conditions for learning, performing, adapting, and recording
- The complete repertoire and organisation of a kapa haka group
- The full protocol of a pōwhiri, tangihanga, sporting fixture, or other surrounding event
- General Māori language instruction and comprehensive iwi or hapū histories
- Physical management of clothing, weapons, venues, and recording equipment
- Standalone management of recordings, copyright claims, or commercial contracts
Characteristics
- Record referent
- practice; composition; version; rehearsal; performance; excerpt; unresolved Prevents a recording, a composition, and its enactment from being mistaken for interchangeable things.
- Composition and version
- Named haka and evidenced version, including locally used names Determines which words, movements, and contextual expectations apply.
- Community and transmission relationships
- Attributed relationships to composer, iwi, hapū, teachers, and performing group, with supporting evidence Identifies whose knowledge supports interpretation and whose guidance is relevant.
- Kaupapa
- Practitioner-described purpose and subject; multiple descriptions allowed; unresolved Supports judging whether the selected haka and its delivery fit the occasion.
- Local haka classification
- Locally recognised term, its definition, and identifying source; unclassified Preserves distinctions without imposing a universal taxonomy.
- Performance phase
- proposed; learning; rehearsing; ready according to named assessor; underway; completed; interrupted; unknown Determines whether the next action is clarification, practice, commencement, continuation, or review.
- Delivery assessment
- Unassessed or practitioner assessment of language, movement, coordination, and expression against stated criteria Makes readiness and quality judgments attributable rather than inferred from visual intensity.
- Performance duration
- Seconds, identifying whether the observation covers a complete performance or an excerpt Supports event planning and comparison of renditions without equating duration with quality.
- Action-specific conditions
- For each proposed action: unresolved; conditions identified; conditions met; conditions unmet; disputed Prevents evidence about permission to perform from being assumed to cover recording, adaptation, or reuse.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Haka identity and lineage Establish what haka is being represented and whose knowledge supports that identification.
A familiar title or recognisable gesture does not establish the version, provenance, or relevant community relationships.
Composition and rendition
Separate the named haka from versions and particular enactments.
Identified haka version
Record the title, alternative names, record referent, and evidence connecting the rendition to a composition.
- Which named haka and version does this record concern, and who identifies it that way? definition
- Is this a complete enactment, rehearsal, excerpt, adaptation, or unresolved resemblance? boundary
Community and transmission
Locate attribution and teaching relationships without treating association as automatic authority.
Attribution and teaching lineage
Record supported composer and community associations, teaching pathways, and disagreements.
- What evidence supports the attributed composer and relationships to particular iwi, hapū, or other communities? provenance
- Through whom was this version learned, and who can clarify disputed words, movements, or attribution? provenance
Words, movement, and meaning Represent how this haka communicates through its text and embodied delivery.
An agent needs the relationship between expression and meaning to avoid reducing a haka to copied gestures.
Text and interpretation
Establish the words of the selected version and attributable explanations of their meaning.
Version-specific text
Record an evidenced text where appropriate, its interpretation, and unresolved language or contextual references.
- Which source or teacher establishes the words and pronunciation for this version? provenance
- Which names, metaphors, historical references, or dialect features require explanation from a knowledgeable speaker? definition
Embodied delivery
Relate vocal and bodily expression to the chosen version and its intended effect.
Expressive sequence
Record meaningful relationships among phrases, movement, rhythm, facial expression, and leadership cues where applicable.
- How do vocal delivery and bodily actions express particular phrases or intentions in this version? definition
- Which variations does the relevant teacher recognise, and which changes would alter or misrepresent the haka? boundary
Kaupapa and occasion Connect the selected haka to its purpose, recipients, and immediate setting.
Suitability depends on why, for whom, and within what proceedings the haka is performed.
Purpose and address
Distinguish the composition's subject from the intention of a particular enactment.
Situated kaupapa
Record the intended message and its relationship to the composition and those addressed.
- What does this enactment intend to express, and to whom is it addressed? definition
- How does that intention relate to the haka's words and attributed background? boundary
Placement in proceedings
Identify how this haka begins, ends, and connects to the surrounding occasion.
Occasion fit and cues
Record contextual guidance, placement, and initiation or completion cues without modelling the entire event.
- What guidance supports using this haka at this point in the occasion? provenance
- Who determines when it begins and ends, and what responses or transitions are expected, if any? action
Learning and performance state Track preparation and observed enactment against criteria supplied by relevant practitioners.
An agent must distinguish knowing the sequence from being ready to deliver this haka appropriately.
Rehearsal readiness
Assess preparation in language, meaning, movement, and performance roles.
Practitioner-assessed readiness
Record who assessed readiness, the criteria used, and practice still required.
- What pronunciation, understanding, movement, and coordination criteria has the teacher set for this haka? definition
- What practice or clarification remains before the assessor considers the performers ready? action
Enactment and review
Record performance phase and meaningful departures from the intended rendition.
Observed rendition state
Separate observable events from practitioner judgments about their significance.
- What phase was reached, how long did the observed enactment last, and was it complete or interrupted? measurement
- Which departures in wording, timing, movement, or cues did a practitioner identify, and what follow-up did they recommend? action
Tikanga and permitted use Establish context-specific guidance for participation, alteration, documentation, and circulation.
Knowing how to perform a haka does not by itself settle the conditions for each proposed use.
Participation and adaptation
Determine relevant guidance for who participates and what may change in the selected version.
Performance and change conditions
Record applicable guidance, its source and scope, and unresolved disagreement without inventing universal restrictions.
- Whose guidance is relevant to participation and performance roles for this haka in this setting? provenance
- What conditions, if any, apply to changing words, movements, presentation, or purpose, and are they satisfied? action
Recording and circulation
Distinguish conditions for enactment from those for capturing and reusing it.
Documentation and reuse conditions
Record action-specific guidance for capture, attribution, access, editing, and reuse, linking separate rights records where relevant.
- What evidence establishes whether this performance may be recorded and shared with the proposed audience? action
- What attribution, contextual explanation, access conditions, or further consultation apply to excerpts, translations, or commercial reuse? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- peruperu (armed jumping war haka)
- haka taparahi (ceremonial unarmed haka)
- ngeri (short motivational haka, often without set weapon actions)
- haka pōwhiri (welcome on the marae)
- manawa wera (mourning/tangi haka)
- named composition (e.g. Ka Mate, Kapa o Pango, Tika Tonu)
- kapa haka competition haka
- sports/pre-match team haka
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q211413 - item for haka as Māori ceremonial dance
- te reo Māori headword - haka - lemma in Te Aka and other Māori lexica
- named composition - Ka Mate | Kapa o Pango | Tika Tonu | … - individual hakas are identified by title and iwi/composer, not a numeric code
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Haka Ka Mate Attribution Act 2014 (New Zealand Parliament) - requires attribution of Ka Mate to Te Rauparaha of Ngāti Toa Rangatira when it is published or performed in covered contexts
- Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016 / Māori Language Act 2016 (New Zealand Parliament) - status of te reo Māori, the language in which haka is composed and performed
- tikanga and iwi authority over specific compositions (Ngāti Toa and others; not a statute but the governing customary law)
- Te Matatini competition rules (Te Matatini Society Incorporated) - scoring and protocol for competitive kapa haka brackets
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Pōwhiri on marae: manuhiri are challenged and then welcomed; haka is one element of the ceremonial sequence
- Tangihanga: manawa wera and related forms express grief and oratory at funerals
- International rugby: the All Blacks perform Ka Mate or Kapa o Pango before Test matches; other NZ sides (Māori All Blacks, Silver Ferns, schools) have their own
- Kapa haka: school, iwi, and national stages, culminating in Te Matatini
- Military, police, and school assemblies in Aotearoa as a mark of unit identity
- Tourism and civic ceremony, including state occasions and sporting welcomes
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- duration of a single performance - 0.5-4 - min
- performers on the floor - 8-40 (stadium/mass events can exceed 200) - people
- All Blacks Ka Mate / Kapa o Pango length - 40-90 - s
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Unattributed or commercial use of Ka Mate in breach of the 2014 Act and Ngāti Toa tikanga
- Mock or caricature haka (wrong words, drunken imitation, racial parody) treated as insult rather than performance
- Protocol breach on the marae: wrong group performing, weapons/pūkana used out of context, or haka offered when a waiata is required
- Injury from vigorous stamping, jumps (peruperu), and close-formation movement
- Treating haka as generic intimidation, which strips iwi-specific meaning and invites diplomatic and community backlash
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Iwi-specific repertoire and words: Ka Mate is Ngāti Toa; other iwi maintain their own compositions and will not treat Ka Mate as generic Māori property
- Kapa o Pango (2005) is an All Blacks composition, not a traditional iwi haka, and has been debated for its throat-slitting gesture
- Marae, school, and stadium registers differ in language, dress, and whether weapons or pūkana are used
- Diaspora and tourist performances in Australia, Europe, and cruise/cultural shows often compress haka into a short 'war dance' unrelated to local tikanga
- Related Polynesian challenge dances exist (Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) but are not called haka in those languages
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- kapa haka - Kapa haka is the broader concert/competitive art (waiata, poi, haka, mōteatea); haka is one discipline inside it.
- siva tau (Samoa) - Samoan pre-match challenge dance; different language, choreography, and polity - not a haka even when seen beside rugby.
- sipi tau (Tonga) - Tongan war/challenge dance (Ikale Tahi); named and governed separately from Māori haka.
- cibi / bole (Fiji) - Fijian challenge dances used by Flying Fijians; distinct repertoire and ceremonial law.
- waiata-ā-ringa - Action song with melodic singing and arm actions; haka is shouted/chanted with stamping and body percussion, not sung as a waiata.
- pūkana - The dilated-eyes/protruded-tongue facial expression is a component of many hakas, not the performance itself.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of haka this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Haka - Māori classification of haka types (peruperu, taparahi, ngeri, pōwhiri), functions, and historical use.
- Haka Ka Mate Attribution Act 2014 - Statutory recognition of Ka Mate as a taonga of Ngāti Toa Rangatira and the legal duty to attribute it to Te Rauparaha.
- haka - Headword sense as posture dance with shouted accompaniment; specialist Māori-language definition.
- Te Matatini - National competitive kapa haka as the principal public arena in which haka is judged, taught, and encountered today.
What the second pass must settle
- Does vr.tr.haka primarily denote the performance practice, a composition, or an enactment, and how should those referents be linked within its authoritative registry scope?
- Which practitioner-supported classifications and regional terms should the model accommodate without imposing a universal taxonomy?
- How should conflicting accounts of composition, teaching lineage, interpretation, and authority be represented and resolved for a particular proposed action?
- Which readiness and delivery criteria are appropriate across contexts, and which require criteria specific to a community, teacher, or version?
- What tikanga and separately evidenced legal conditions apply to particular named haka, adaptations, recordings, and reuse contexts?