A video of the Kardashian children performing a haka dance has been accused of cultural appropriation this week.
The video was first posted by Scott Disick, Kourtney’s ex-husband, on his Instagram Stories (@letthelordbewithyou) last Sunday.
Disick’s post coincides with the ongoing #HakaChallenge trend on TikTok. However, it’s unclear if the video was filmed for this purpose.
“TikTok ya don’t stop. Ain’t got nothing on us!” Disick wrote in the caption.
In the video, Kim and Kourtney’s kids dance to Ngati Toa’s “Ka Mate,” a Māori haka dance popularized by the New Zealand rugby team All Blacks.
In 2018, Jason Momoa performed the same haka at the Hollywood premiere of “Aquaman,” along with other cast members.
While the Kardashian children received some praises for their performance, many Kiwis took offense in Disick’s caption, as well as the notion that most participants in the #HakaChallenge are not really learning about the tradition.
That, critics say, is cultural appropriation.
“Why is it people feel the need to give their interpretation of the haka on any form of social media — TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, whatever?” Tania Ka’ai, a Māori cultural advisor, told Newshub.
“None of them really seem to pay respect and homage to the haka — the least of which is the Kardashian children, in my view. Despite all the positive feedback about their pronunciation and execution, it still doesn’t address the issue of why do it in the first place. It’s still cultural appropriation.”
Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki believes it is good to promote Māori culture online. Still, he wants to know the Kardashians’ intentions.
“On the one hand, it’s a great thing. On the other hand, I would love to have a conversation with them about what the haka means and what motivated them to do it,” Tukaki told Star News. “It has to be done with true intent. It’s not just something that’s good for Instagram or social media.”
Others defended the Kardashian children and thought they actually pronounced Māori words well.
“I thought the Kardashian kids doing the haka was cute. They weren’t laughing at it. They enjoyed themselves. It felt like appreciation in this context. They pronounced most of the words better than half the people I know do,” one Twitter user noted.
Feature Image Screenshots via @letthelordbewithyou
