Council Commission and Ka Mate
A Year 12 student has been commissioned by a local council to compose a three-minute item for an environmental awards evening. Twelve students will perform to an audience of about 200. The council's events manager has asked for 'something with a strong haka' and specifically requested that the group 'include that famous part from Ka Mate' because it is 'recognisable and exciting'. The student knows that Ka Mate is a taonga associated with Ngāti Toa and that the group has no mandate from Ngāti Toa. The student's own whakapapa is to a hapū outside the region, and the group includes performers from several iwi. The deadline is five weeks away, and the council has not allocated a budget for consultation. The student wants the item to be original, appropriate, and strong, and does not want to embarrass the council or lose the commission.
1. Evaluate the council's request to use an excerpt from Ka Mate. What should the student say, and why?
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The request is understandable but not appropriate to accept as stated. Ka Mate is not a free-floating 'famous haka'; it is a taonga with kaitiakitanga responsibilities associated with Ngāti Toa. The group has no mandate, and the student's whakapapa does not give permission. Using it because it is recognisable would treat it as branding and ignore whakapapa. The student should say no to that specific request, explain briefly and without shaming, and offer an original haka instead. If the council wants Ka Mate specifically, it must approach Ngāti Toa through the correct channels, which is unlikely to fit a five-week deadline. 'Strong haka' does not require borrowed material; a newly composed haka can be powerful if it has a real kaupapa, correct reo, and a mandate from the right people.
2. Propose a three-minute structure for an original item that meets the brief.
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A possible structure is: 0:00-0:25, entry with a short mihi and reo that names the kaupapa; 0:25-1:10, waiata-ā-ringa introducing the local river and the environmental message; 1:10-2:25, an original haka composed with permission from a mandated kaumātua or composer; 2:25-3:00, whakawātea that brings the item to a controlled close. The haka should not be tacked on as a crowd-pleaser at the end; it should carry the kaupapa and be placed where its energy makes sense. The waiata-ā-ringa gives the audience the kupu and context, while the haka provides the strong moment the council asked for without borrowing another iwi's taonga. Transitions must be tight to fit three minutes.
3. Explain how the student should negotiate with the council, including consultation and budget.
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The student should be professional and put the advice in writing. Explain that Ka Mate is a protected taonga and that an original haka is the appropriate alternative. Ask the council to fund consultation time or a koha for the kaumātua or composer, because cultural knowledge is not free labour. If the council has no budget, the student can scale the scope or use an existing school relationship, but should not expect unlimited unpaid consultation. Offer a short programme note explaining the kaupapa and the permission process. This protects the council from a misstep, protects the student from being asked to appropriate, and gives the audience a better item than a borrowed excerpt.