Watch NZ Students Perform an Impromptu Haka to Mourn the Christchurch Victims

How do you reckon with unimaginable tragedy?

In Christchurch, where 50 were killed in a racist terror attack across two mosques, that answer is not coming easily.

But for a group of students mourning the loss of two peers, they found some solace in the performance of a traditional Maori dance: the haka.

The impromptu haka was started by a handful of students, and it grew into a deafening roar as many more joined them.

Though the haka is perhaps best (and maybe incorrectly) known as an intimidation tactic before sporting matches, it has a long history in Maori tradition to commemorate notable occasions, welcome distinguished guests, or mourn the dead.

In this instance, it did something else too: demonstrate the incredible resilience of New Zealand's teenagers.

Header Image: SBS