The Arizona football team has a tradition before every game that started in 2009, however, it will no longer be permitted in the program.
The highly recognized Ka Mate haka dance that is lead by a plethora of Polynesian players was discontinued after a California State associate professor created an online petition.
Dr. Christina Campbell, of CSUN, was outraged with the poor quality of work the Wildcats put into the dance as it is known for the New Zealand national rugby union team, All Blacks.
“Yes — thank you all so much for your support,” Campbell posted on her Change.org petition. “I just received this email from the University of Arizona Athletics department, they will no longer be performing Ka Mate.”
According to the petition, 1,831 people signed it supporting Arizona to stop the haka.
“Haka only exists in New Zealand,” Campbell said to Radio New Zealand. “The fact that they are doing Ka Mate, one of the most famous Maori war dances, and doing it very poorly, strikes a chord with a lot of New Zealanders living in America and watching it on TV here.”
According to NewZealand.com, the haka dance was traditionally performed on the battlefield and was a “display of a tribe’s pride, strength and unity.”
Arizona will have to find another pre-game hype tradition without upsetting the wrong person.
I think that the Arizona Wildcats performing the Haka was utterly disrespectful to all Maoris & New Zealand.
— Fatima Antaqi-Savea (@_tima1) September 28, 2015
Arizona Why do the Haka if you don’t know the true meaning? Or even know how to say the words? Have Ngakau, learn the kōrero! Disrespectful.
— Scott Matiaha™ (@TheScottMatiaha) October 2, 2015
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