Nurses’ Clip Of Them Performing Haka In Face Of COVID-19 Deemed ‘Offensive’
Image via Shutterstock
Healthcare workers in hospitals have been working tirelessly to battle the coronavirus pandemic. To lift their spirits, a group of UK healthcare workers recorded a video of themselves performing a sacred Maori dance, also known as the haka.
Unfortunately, this left a bad taste in people’s mouth as many labeled it to be “offensive.”
The footage shows a group of nurses wearing white headbands and black face paint while holding up pictures of the COVID-19 molecule. They performed a version of the Ka Mate haka in scrubs.
A nurse in the clip then stepped forward as she chimed, “This is the message we wish to affirm, you’ll never beat us, we hate you, you germ. Together we’ll triumph with the strength from within. Mankind will destroy you, mankind will win.”
The video, unfortunately, garnered negative reactions as many thought the move was “offensive” to Aotearoa New Zealand. Maori cultural advisor Karaitiana Taiuru described to Newshub that the clip was “offensive and degrading.”
“There is no reasonable excuse why any semi-educated person with access to the internet, from anywhere in the world, to not know that mocking another person's culture is offensive,” Tairuru said.
There was another video of nurses in the UK performing a moderated haka, which was shared before the one mentioned above.
Twitter users, too, have expressed disgust over the haka videos. “The COVID-19 ‘haka’ is the most bizarre, culturally inappropriate thing I’ve seen this year,” one Twitter user said. “You aren’t Maori, you don’t understand the haka, you shouldn’t be doing it,” another user explained.
A message in Haka to the 'germ' Coronavirus from the whole Tavistock Hospital team- "Our passion and drive to beat Coronavirus... together we will beat you!"#BeatTheVirus #FlattenTheCurve #COVID19nz #coronavirus #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/ZJWj7lt5yN
— Indian Weekender (@indianweekender) April 20, 2020
Another day, another culturally appropriated haka. PSA for the @NHSuk - STOP!@UKinNZ I can't deal with seeing this crap day in day out. Follow up please.
— TK (@sidelinemaori) April 22, 2020
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"The Haka getting us hyped for another shift fighting Covid-19! #nhs #radiographers #xray" https://t.co/WBVEqQwPQz pic.twitter.com/UtZGffPQ9H
Dear NHS,
— Al Rush (@exRAF_Al) April 21, 2020
We stayed in for you, now please, for the love of god, stop this for us. https://t.co/ngmy7EHPOe
I don’t know why people who aren’t Māori would wake up thinking it’s okay for them to do the haka. I would never understand the rationale of it. It clearly shows you don’t understand it. A group of nurses in the UK did it and Māori people spoke out against it. pic.twitter.com/xGF9zgCnpG
— AMELIA NATASHA (@AmeliaNatasha_) April 20, 2020
This kind of sickening cultural appropriation is precisely why I’m boycotting the NHS.
— Titania McGrath (@TitaniaMcGrath) April 21, 2020
I’ve got Bupa anyway. https://t.co/HiAVemFoJq
Intetnational scandal of the day.https://t.co/PPIMjqY2dH
— The Ministry of Bad Ideas (@MinistryBad) April 20, 2020
[via Indy 100, opening image via Shutterstock]
