New Zealand's Māori ask anti-vaccine protesters to stop using haka

FILE PHOTO: Protesters rally against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions and vaccine mandates in Wellington, New Zealand, November 9, 2021. REUTERS/Praveen Menon

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A Māori tribe that claims New Zealand's most famous haka as its heritage on Monday told anti-vaccine protesters to stop using the traditional performance to promote their message.

Vaccine protesters have performed the "Ka Mate", a Māori haka composed in about 1820 by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe, at their rallies over the past few weeks against vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions.