Breaking News Today spoke with a group of nurses has come under fire for performing a Maori haka in a bid to inspire those impacted by COVID-19.
The nurses, who work at Tavistock Hospital in Devon, donned head tape and painted their faces while holding up pictures of the coronavirus molecule and attempting to mimic the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.
The video which was posted on their Twitter page received a massive backlash with one user saying: “The COVID-19 ‘haka’ by #TavistockHospital is the most bizarre, culturally inappropriate thing I’ve seen this year.”
Another said: “White people doing the Haka dance… This is soooo cringe. Please find the darkest part of the web and bury it there.”
During the video, the nurses can be heard chanting: “This is the message we wish to affirm! You’ll never beat us, we hate you, you germ! Together we triumph with strength from within. Mankind will destroy you; mankind will win.”
Many viewers wanted to know how the nurses had time to choreograph a dance video amongst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
One user tweeted: “What’s going on here. I thought these lot were rushed off their feet. Embarrassing! And, they have time to dress up, choreograph, practice and film this CRINGE while toiling away in catastrophic ‘warzones.’”
Senior Theatre Sister and OPD Manager at Tavistock Hospital has defended the nurses’ actions, tweeting: “Support for our teams is paramount, through this difficult time. Tavistock performed a Hakka with teams from all areas of the hospital, who are working areas unfamiliar to them, anxiety was high, it was just 10 minutes and they felt supported, happy, without PPE, result!”
However, many still think an apology is needed, with one user saying: “Your staff were made to perform an egregiously inappropriate, offensive and unprofessional display for which your leadership should apologise.”
Not everyone found the video offensive though with a native New Zealander posting his appreciation for the clip, calling it one of the best versions he had seen.
He said: “A whole lot of know-it-alls that know nothing got upset and calling it cultural appropriation. If anything, that was one of the best haka I’ve ever seen.”
Another said: “To me it’s ok, seems like a tribute to Maori culture rather than an insult to it. It just shows them doing a war dance against the virus.”
Due to the vast number of negative comments that the video received on their Twitter page, Tavistock Hospital made the decision to remove it from their feed. However, not everyone thought this action was needed.
One user said: “The Tavistock Hospital haka should never have been taken down. None of those complaining knew what they were talking about and no basis upon which to place their concerns.”
Another said: “Give them a break… High pressure job letting off a bit of steam with a bit of lunacy is great for morale and shares their hope for the future.”
