'Elevate each other': How the Māori plan to pay tribute to Indigenous culture

"Ko au, ko Tūhoe, ko taku wahine, no Gamilaroi, Taku kotiro, taku Manawa."

Those are the Māori words Joseph Tapine will echo around Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Friday night. 

The phrase, which translates to "I am Tuhoe, my wife is Gamilaroi and my daughter is both. That is my heart", recognises Tapine's own Iwi, his wife Kirsten's mob and his daughter Ilua's shared cultures. 

Tapine will be the third player to feature in the specially designed haka which will acknowledge the connections between both Māori and Indigenous culture, with Kodi Nikorima taking the lead and Dane Gagai, who is both Māori and Torres Strait Island, following. 

Māori All Stars cultural advisor Ora Kihi tells pan66.com it's a haka that is highly personalised to the current playing group and one which pays respect to the role Australian Indigenous culture plays as a "big sibling" to Māori. 

"This year we will start off as usual with our Māori whakapapa going out and talking about the Māori genealogy," Kihi said. 

"Then it was a great way to introduce Dane Gagai, because he is both Māori and Torres Strait Islander, so it only feels right for us that he comes out and he says his whakapapa genealogy from both sides of his family.

"And then the last person who is going to come out is going to be Joseph Tapine."

While it's often misinterpreted as an act of intimidation, Kihi says this year's haka to kick off the NRL Harvey Norman All Stars clash is proof of the exact opposite. 

"When saying those words and looking at the opposition, it has nothing to do with war but everything to do with 'tuakana-teina' (the relationship between old and young) and acknowledging the connection between their Whakapapa (genealogy), Iwi (nation) and the hearts, minds and souls of both that are connected," he says. 

"That’s truly what we bring to this game.

"At the game when we face each other, when we look at our older brother and we see Latrell [Mitchell] and the rest of the brothers on the other side, that’s what we are saying.

"We want you to make me better and I will do my very best to make you be better, by giving you everything I have. Because older brothers and younger brothers might scuffle, but at the end of the day we always walk away as one family."

Tapine, who has previously spoken about his ongoing journey to become more in touch with his Māori culture and heritage, admits he gets emotional thinking about Friday's haka and what it will mean to his family.     

"My wife is very passionate about her culture and mob, she does a lot around that space and having a daughter that has both [cultures] is huge for me and I represent both cultures," Tapine said on Thursday.

"I'm probably more nervous about the haka than the game because I don't want to stuff it up.

"But it means a lot to me and I get emotional talking about it. There's just a lot of emotion and I'm an emotional fella."

As the Indigenous v Māori All Stars concept heads into its sixth instalment this Friday, the gesture further adds to what is a growing understanding between the two cultural groups. 

It comes after the Māori hosted their counterparts in Rotorua for last year's event, which Indigenous great and All Stars advisor Dean Widders said allowed for a far deeper understanding of Māori culture and how both groups can elevate each other. 

Widders expects this year's haka to be an even more special experience for the Indigenous players, given the representation of their own culture in it. 

"We can't wait to see their haka and I know a lot of players will get emotional just seeing the respect they show our people during it," Widders told pan66.com. 

"We work together to elevate each other. We have learned a lot about Māori culture in the last couple of years and every time we see them perform anything it's very special and touches our heart.

"We are blown away by their culture and the way it respects our people and this event shows the respect these two groups of people have for each other."

That sentiment is echoed by former Indigenous captain Johnathan Thurston, who faced the haka 24 times during his Test career with Australia.

The two-time Preston Campbell Medal winner, who has a Kiwi father, says it has been heartening to see the way the All Stars concept has grown since the Māori became involved in 2019. 

"The Māori culture is so strong in New Zealand and ours is very strong here in Australia, but to see some of those boys on that side implement some of the Indigenous side of it into Australia, that's what it's about," Thurston told pan66.com. 

"It's about both cultures learning from each other and seeing how both cultures can thrive together not only on the football field but off it as well.

"It's great to see the competition grow into what it is today. It's Preston Campbell's baby and he should be really proud with what he's been able to achieve with it."