Connect with us

Press Releases

Maori Tribe Tells Anti-Vaccine Protestors to Stop Using Popular Haka

Published

on

View of unidentified Maori people near a traditional Maori Village in Rotorua | Maori tribe tells anti-vaccine protestors to stop using popular haka | featured

A Maori tribe has told anti-vaccine protesters in New Zealand to stop the use of a famous haka “immediately”, BBC reported.

RELATED: Sutton Mother Among Protesters Defying State Flu Vaccine Mandate for Children

Maori Tribe Tells Anti-Vaccine Protestors to Stop Using Popular Haka

Maori warriors perform Haka dance-Maori tribe

The Ka Mate haka is hugely popular as it is performed by the national rugby team the All Blacks before every match.

The Ngati Toa tribe, which has legal guardianship of the haka, issued a strong notice after protestors performed the war dance during demonstrations last week.

The notice comes as vaccination rates among the Maori people have been low.

Just 61% of Maori people are fully vaccinated and 77% have received their first dose. This is short of New Zealand's targeted rate of 90%.

“Ngati Toa condemns the use of the Ka Mate haka to push and promote anti-Covid-19 vaccination messages,” said its chief executive officer Helmut Modlik in a statement.

“Many of our tupuna [ancestors] lost their lives in previous pandemics… we are absolutely clear that the COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection we have available to us, and we are committed to supporting our whānau [family] to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Last week, an estimated 2,000 protestors gathered outside parliament in Wellington and across the country, waving large Trump flags and carrying anti-vaccination signs.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had earlier said the country will require teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors to be fully vaccinated against Covid.

New Zealand, which initially adopted a tough Covid-19 response, has said it will begin moving away from a zero-Covid strategy toward one of living with the virus.

The country has reported 9,000 cases so far and 34 deaths, with its death toll among the lowest in the world.

You Might Also Like:

Keep up to date with the breaking news by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Article Source: NewsEdge

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2022 Breaking News Alerts. This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. The information presented here is for general educational purposes only. MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the persons or businesses mentioned in or linked to from this page and may receive commissions from purchases you make on subsequent web sites. You should not rely solely on information contained in this email to evaluate the product or service being endorsed. Always exercise due diligence before purchasing any product or service. This website contains advertisements.