A formal complaint has been made to the European Commission after a haka was allegedly "treated as a joke" in one of their exercise videos.
The #BeActive video encouraged viewers to participate in a 'Haka Challenge' and featured a man performing a messy version of the traditional Māori challenge.
Complainant Fionnaigh Mckenzie said the video was offensive.
"The haka is something really important in Māori culture and it's something that should be respected and not treated as a joke," she told Māori Television.
"It was also the context of the competition, so the next week the challenge was to do weightlifting with fruit."
Ms McKenzie said the ad contradicts the Commission's core anti-racist values.
The European Commission told Māori Television they respect Māori culture and regret the video.
The organisation has since removed the video from their social media accounts.
Performer Michael Rūrehe told Māori Television he found it inspirational, not offensive.
Auckland haka performer Nettie Norman said while she didn't take issue with the concept, the way the haka was portrayed was a concern.
Newshub.
