ARTS | REVIEW INTERVIEW | WHAKAKĀINGA / HOME
Sofia Roger Williams (she/her) | @sofiarogerwilliams | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Off the back of the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti last year, and as the coalition government continues to face criticism over its policies regarding Māori and Indigenous rights in Aotearoa, there is no better time than now to reflect on how we remember our home’s history.
In 1979, a group of Māori and Pasifika activists – later named He Taua - confronted Auckland University’s engineering students over the annual capping week tradition of performing their mock haka. The ‘Haka Party’ had become increasingly problematic over the years, with many of the students drunk, dressed in grass skirts, and with offensive symbols and words scrawled over their bodies. What followed He Taua’s confrontation, was a ‘three-minute war’ and landmark court case which would alter race relations in Aotearoa forever.
You might remember this story from The Haka Party Incident play, where writer and director Katie Wolfe (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) brought attention to this lesser-known part of history in the form of verbatim theatre – or perhaps (as my coworker reminded me) from the NCEA unfamiliar sources exam a couple years ago. However, wider New Zealand society has largely forgotten this piece of history.
After a wildly successful national tour of the play, Wolfe has continued the conversation with a documentary film of the same name. I had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with her about the film at what she called “the scene of the crime” - the 95bFM studio above the University of Auckland student quad.
Wolfe explained, “[The haka party incident] broke open this idea of systemic racism within institutions in Aotearoa, and how in the 1970s - we looked at that for the first time.”
The film is an emotional whirlwind. I found myself oscillating from feeling disturbed by the mock haka, amused by certain humourous editing choices, admiration for He Taua’s bravery and saddened watching them begin the practice of filming themselves in case they need to hold police accountable for potential brutality against them. What stuck with me most was that this story involved people my age, occurred on the streets I walk every day and at the very institution I attend - the place I call home.
Through interviews with members of He Taua and engineering students, as well as others involved in the event, such as the University of Auckland student magazine Craccum editor at the time, David Merritt, and President of the Student's Union, Janet Roth, the story is told by those who were directly there. However, with He Taua and the engineering students leading the storytelling, there is often a harsh juxtaposition between the two perspectives almost 46 years on.
As they reflect on the event, members of He Taua - Hone Harawira, Zena Tamanui, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Veronica Leef, Georgina Walker-Grace, Miriama Rauhihi-Ness, and James Pasene - are shown sitting in Waipapa Marae holding photographs of other members who couldn’t be there - a thoughtful touch. Their dynamic and authenticity as a group bring a much-needed sense of warmth to the film.
The most enthralling and (frankly) disturbing part of the documentary was watching the four featured engineering students’ lack of introspection about the incident. Parts of it were undoubtedly bewildering to me. However, you can’t help but appreciate their willingness to be a part of the film, as the message of The Haka Party Incident wouldn’t be the same without them.
Another stand-out moment for me is when the film shows Auckland University students holding a forum on racism in the quad following the incident, where an estimated 3,000 people came together to listen and share their perspectives on whether the ‘Haka Party’ was appropriate. To conclude the forum, the engineering students invited the Māori students to their department, where everyone sang Imagine by John Lennon. Although, retrospectively, the song choice is a bit on the nose (and many in the cinema laughed at this moment), the forum's productive outcome and the students' ability to end up unified after being so divided on an issue moved me.
Through an impressive range of archival footage, interviews, and photographs, The Haka Party Incident connects the events of 1979 to the present - and the line is very clear. In reflecting on the past year, Wolfe said she thought it was “actually really positive in a way” to see the continual fight for Indigenous rights in Aotearoa.
“I see [He Taua] as being very heroic figures in terms of the ka whawhai tonu mātou - the continual struggle - that goes on.”
“In New Zealand, we sit in the context of world politics where fighting for the rights of indigenous cultures is something that goes on and on... Even if we feel like we’re going a bit off course, our voice is still incredibly strong.”
Wolfe told me that the saddest part in the film for her is when Ben Dalton, a member of He Taua in 1979 and now chief executive at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, is shown speaking at Waitangi last year to the coalition government. It’s a moment that I didn’t pick up on my first watch but stuck with me after my second. After working his whole life to progress Māori rights, Dalton says, “We’ve still got a long way to go. We’re not quite speaking each other’s language yet.” He’s right. We may not all speak each other's language yet, but the more we learn about each other and our history, the more fluent we become.
The Haka Party Incident is an opportunity to contemplate our national identity in Aotearoa. Whether you’re Māori, Pākehā, or Tangata Tiriti, the film begs the question: What does it mean to be a New Zealander? Moreover, what does it mean to be a student?
It’s often said that we learn history so we don’t repeat it - true. But we also learn to understand each other better and be better listeners. The impact of the events we study is not transient and should not be treated as if they are.
The Haka Party Incident is an indispensable watch for anyone who calls Aotearoa home. For those of the older generation, you’ll likely spot someone you know (my mother spotted three). And for those going into, attending, or recently graduated from university, it provides a fascinating insight into what it once was. No matter who you are, even if you’re simply a lover of brilliant film-making, I couldn’t recommend watching The Haka Party Incident more.
The Haka Party Incident is now showing in cinemas across Aotearoa. Listen to the full kōrero with director Katie Wolfe on 95bfm.com
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