A Maori tribe in New Zealand, which owns the copyright to the most famous traditional haka dance, today called on protesters against the covid-19 vaccine not to use it to spread their message.
New Zealand law has recognized the Ngati Toa tribe as the cultural guardians of the Ka Mate haka, which vaccinators reproduced during their recent demonstrations against restrictions in the country to curb covid-19.
“We do not support their positions,” the tribe said in a statement. “The Ngati Toa condemn the use of the Hak Mate hack to promote anti-covid-19 vaccination messages,” he added.
Although there are many forms of khaka created by different races for different uses and occasions, “Ka Mate” is best known for being danced by the New Zealand national rugby team, also known as the All Blacks, before each match more than a century.
New Zealand, which has one of the lowest rates of covid-19 cases in the world, is struggling to cope with a new wave of the epidemic due to the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus Delta strain.
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has been forced to change her government’s strategy and now says New Zealanders need to learn to live with the virus.
Ardern aims to vaccinate 90% of citizens who can be immunized before the lockdowns are lifted.
At the moment, the percentage of people fully vaccinated against covid-19 reaches 81%, but the New Zealand Prime Minister admitted today that the health authorities are having a hard time convincing some young Maori because of the misinformation about the vaccines.
“So it is not a question of access. We are trying to overcome much more than that and from the discussions I had, this is one of the issues that makes it difficult for all of us “, Ardern pointed out referring to the misinformation, speaking to the TV station TVNZ.
By November 13, 76% of Maori had received one dose of covid-19 vaccine and 60% had been fully vaccinated.
Authorities announced 173 new coronavirus cases today, bringing the total to more than 8,500.
.
