Araatika! Rise UpJanuary 26, 2022

An intimate portrait of a man driven to share his culture with the world. In 2012, a group of Indigenous NRL players including Dean Widders, Preston Campbell, Timana Tahu and George Rose came together to develop a pre-game ceremony that would be a response to New Zealand’s much loved, universally recognised and hugely respected haka. Rather than simply taking an existing dance, the players came up with a series of movements that reflected cultural symbols - the clan, the warrior, the boomerang, the spear. They concluded their new dance with a moment of reflection - to them, this emphasised that the silences are just as important, or even more important, than the spoken words.

Araatika! Rise Up was broadcast on SBS ONE at Wednesday 26 January 2022, 10:30.