American college football team under fire for performing cringeworthy haka

University of Hawaii stopped performing Ka Mate years ago after realising the offence caused. They with assistance have now had written and perform a Ha'a, Hawaiian Haka in there own language about themselves. So to answer your question complaints were made by Maori Hawaii understood the grievance and enhanced there own culture for it.

All Blacks have permission perform it according to protocol and have tuition on its performance. If you do not understand cultural appropriation just admit it. unfortunately you do not get to tell another culture what they can and can not hold sacred, and which parts of it they must share with the world.

This is also done at the University of Hawaii. If you're going to complain there, complain at UH as well. See where that leads you.

Put away the faux outrage and cry me a river. The All Blacks made it a cheerleader act before Arizona did.

It is that this has been copied from youtube, none of these players are Kiwi, Ka Mate Haka is irrelevant to there culture. None speak Maori or have probably meet a Maori. Ka Mate speaks of a specific people, in a specific place fighting a specific battle in a specific language, none of which applies to them. Ka Mate comes with protocol history and tradition. It is taught passed down and practiced for years to perfection. Arizona has turned it into a cheerleader act.

Unfortunately one race (privileged white race) does not get to tell another race (indigenous race) what they can hold sacred, what they must share, what is complete cultural appropriation. Ka Mate Haka and Maori Haka in general have nothing to do with Arizona University, there are no Maori players or couches and 2 Maori students. Maori have complained about this for 5 years against Arizona.

Awesome reply that will keep me going all day..

Funny 'cause “King Kunta” is approximately what I was thinking about Redsking's comment above.....

Atlas shrugs.

"Don’t think the average NZer gets what the rest of us out there have been too polite to say in the past." What does that even mean? Please clarify.

I don't like Kamate kamate haka, it's a haka of oppression and genocide. to me. Te rauparaha the chief of the Ngati toa tribe who was forcedt off his naitive lands and moved south, Because he was one of the first chiefs of a tribe to get muskets, he slaughtered tribes when he migrated south and one of the tribes was mine. So I cringe when the all blacks do Kamate kamate, I learned this from my grandmother who was told to by her father who fought against him. So any disrespect for this haka is all right with me. People need to know what this haka represents to some of us In NZ.

What is "sending social media into a spin"? A handful of people with nothing better to do than post faux outrage over nothing can be reported as "social media in a spin."

nice argument - i have an opinion end of story

Really? Taking offence with some expletives in a Kendrick Lamar song? I didn't realize we were still so precious about rap lyrics, it's 2015, people need to get over it. That story is such clickbait trash, and it has done its' job perfectly - taken quade cooper's supposed bad boy image and drawn this connection to the song which is probably just a song he enjoys, and turned it into a good old fashioned dog and pony show with public outrage and everything (clearly it suckered me in, give the guy who came up with this story a good bonus). This song is all over mainstream radio, who honestly cares if a rugby player uses it in a video clip?

Given that the Arizona players leading the Haka are stated as being Polynesian, it seems borderline offensive to tell them what their culture is or isn't. If the issue is that 'non-Maori' are doing it, then it puts the All-Blacks in a laughable position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emJyEa4z2Ec

Justin who Atlas ????

Ka pai tuakana, tautoko mai. Well done Atlas and Taku Parai. Totally support that kaupapa.

Sorry Tony I disagree with you. The best thing we can do for our language and culture is to share it with ourselves first, then share it with our fellow country men and women. Like many of my fellow Maori teachers I spent years teaching secondary school students of all backgrounds to haka, Maori language, stories, songs, hand games and culture. My speak was and still is, our Maori language and culture belongs to all New Zealanders. That its the Maori language and culture that separates all New Zealanders of other ethnic origins from their former homelanders, whether that be European, African, Indian, Asian or American. Like it or not, we need to strengthen our fellow country peoples knowledge, skill and confidence to share our language and culture in the way we want them to. I told my kids that when they grow up and go on their OE all that learning from Year 9/10 will come to the fore. Yes I remember the cringeworthy Kiwis doing their drunken rendition of Ka Mate Ka Mate on the banks of the Challenge Cup win in Kenya several years ago, and that motivated me to make sure that my 300-400 kids who came through my department will have the skills and knowledge to back up their enthusiasm when they embark on their OE.

Whom ever is offended should instead take it as a compliment, that someone thinks this aspect of Maori culture is cool enough to emulate it across the globe. It wouldn't surprise me if some opportunist comes out of the shadows, wanting their backside kissed or palm greased to make their hurt feelings stemming from this rendition of the haka, go away.

Good point Ben. On the other hand, there is opportunity. I don't want to dampen the enthusiasm of those Pasifika guys who obviously have a captive audience. No sense in sitting at home grizzling about it. The best we can do is build a relationship with those young fellows and use the opportunity to promote our language, culture and country in the USA's no1 sport.