Te Ao Haka
This section covers the Te Ao Haka domain of NCEA Level 2. The exam tests whether you can explain and analyse Te Ao Haka as a Māori performing art shaped by whakapapa, te reo, tikanga and context - not merely describe a performance. Expect questions that ask you to identify elements, explain their effect, and connect performance choices to the kaupapa of the item and the occasion.
Core rules and concepts
- Te Ao Haka is a whakapapa-based body of knowledge. An item has an origin, iwi/hapū context, composer, purpose and performance history.
- Performance elements include ihi (essential force), wehi (awe) and wana (thrill/response). These are not fixed labels: they are created through voice, body, face, hands, feet, tempo, formation and stillness.
- Roles matter: kaitātaki tāne/wahine lead; kaihaka support; kaiwaiata carry the reo. Know who does what and why.
- Tikanga governs performance: entry, formation, appropriate item for the occasion, and respect for the source.
Worked example
Question: “Explain how the group creates ihi, wehi and wana in a haka.” A weak answer lists “they were loud and had pukana.” A stronger answer names a technique, explains the effect, and links it to purpose: “The kaitātaki tāne sets a low, controlled first line; the rōpū answers with a sharp pukana and a stamped foot. The contrast concentrates ihi in the leader and releases it through the group. A sudden hold before the final line creates wehi, and the audience’s roar is wana. This suits the item’s kaupapa of welcoming manuhiri.”
Traps that cost marks
- Swapping ihi, wehi and wana.
- Calling every item a haka; use the correct genre (waiata-ā-ringa, poi, titi tōrea, mau rākau, etc.).
- Ignoring whakapapa and occasion.
- Giving opinion without naming a technique or effect.
- Using Māori terms loosely without showing understanding.