What seemed to the Spanish players to be for fun and laughter, on the now deleted video, has since become serious. On Monday, a ceremony was held with the Spanish national team and a group from the Rangitane tribe. There, the Spanish captain, Ivana Andrés, came with an apology, while the local tribe showed something of the Maori culture. – We have only been here in New Zealand for a couple of days and we still have a lot to learn about the culture. So thank you for the kindness you show us, says Andrés according to Reuters. In the video published by the Spanish Football Association last week, four Spanish players could be seen doing a haka dance. After they finished the dance, they went on laughing. According to New Zealand’s Stuff, the video was posted together with the text “Me er alreie acclimatised”. It was shortly after the Spanish national team had arrived in New Zealand to prepare for the football World Cup. CEREMONY: The Spanish national team gathered for the ceremony on Monday. Photo: Reuters – Being perceived as insulting The video was quickly met with criticism and then deleted. Last week, the holiday of Matariki was celebrated in New Zealand. It marks the Maori New Year. University lecturer Dr. Jeremy Hapeta was not impressed by the contrivance of the Spain players. – Whether it was done on purpose or not – they have done damage, he told Stuff. Professor Ingjerd Hoëm at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo has, among other things, carried out fieldwork in New Zealand and tells news that the dance of the Spanish players will be perceived as insulting. – It’s as if I’m in Finland and going to play a match against the Finns and they make an improvised little May 17 train with Norwegian bunad and such, and then laugh. The fact that someone then takes the han (haka), it is perceived as cultural appropriation, to use such a slightly stupid term. It’s their thing, so it’s like putting on a folk costume, bunad, Indian feathers, something or other, and then laugh. It is perceived as insulting, she says. – New Zealand is a society with two cultures, so it (the haka) is one of the few things that Maori can really be proud of and it is their thing, she says further. The haka has long traditions for the Maori. Here’s an example: When she first spoke to news, she hadn’t seen the video in question with the Spanish players. After seeing him, she writes in a message: – Because they don’t have Maori words, but only shout nonsense, it becomes more like an insult. As if they imitated a child’s game. Pretty bad, write ho. Apology accepted: – Came from the heart At the ceremony on Monday, among other things, a haka dance was performed by members of the local Rangitane tribe, while the Spanish national team gave a national team jersey as a gift. – We enter Matariki with a desire to learn, to enjoy, to share, to achieve success and to ask for forgiveness for our mistakes, so that we can get a little better every day, says the Spanish captain. CAPTAIN: Ivana Andrés. Photo: Noe Llamas / Sports Press Photo/Sipa USA The spokesperson for the local tribe says the outcome of the ceremony was very good. – What they said came from the heart and it was clear that they understand how valuable the chin is. Not just for the Maori, but for the whole of Aotearoa, says the spokesperson to Reuters, according to CNN. The Maori make up about 14 percent of the total population in the country, and their language was made an official language in 1987, in addition to English. Spain open the World Cup against Costa Rica next Friday. PS! In addition to Spain, Dutch players were also blamed for mocking the haka dance in a video clip from a training session last week. In a video published by the Dutch national team, right defender Merel van Dongen could say “Haka, New Zealand”. The Dutch association initially said that the exercise was not a reference to a hook or an attempt at an imitation. Van Dongen apologized to Nu.nl on Friday. – I didn’t realize what it would lead to. It was certainly not my intention to make fun of the chin. If I have hurt anyone with that, I would like to say sorry to them. It will not happen again, said Van Dongen.
ttn-69
Spanish players laughed after dancing – had to stand up and apologize – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
