The agreement comes after protracted negotiations between the government and several Maori tribes seeking compensation for historic grievances. Millions of dollars are being paid in a comprehensive settlement.The move follows concerns the Ka Mate haka, known to rugby fans world-wide, was being commercially exploited. In 2006, an advertisement for Fiat cars featured Italian women doing a version of the haka. The challenge has also featured in a cinema film about rugby called Forever Strong.
The government has now agreed that the Ka Mate haka belongs to a Maori tribe, the Ngati Toa. Its chief, Te Rauparaha, was recognised as the originator of the haka, written to celebrate his escape from death in a battle in the 1820s. (Courtesy: BBC News)