The Maori war dance (the haka) and being bilingual may help to keep dementia away. Researchers in New Zealand say doing the haka and speaking two languages might help Maoris avoid dementia. A study compared dementia among people in their 80s and 90s. Maoris have less health care, less income and more heart diseases than non-Maoris. However, researchers found no differences between Maoris and non-Maoris.
The haka is an old war cry. People chant and do an energetic dance. They stamp their feet. Warriors did it before battles to show their strength to their enemy. The famous All Blacks rugby team started using it before their matches in 1905. The All Blacks now do it before all the games they play. A Maori professor said that the thinking about the difficult dance routines of the haka helps to keep the brain healthy.