Maori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, 22, took a bold stand against the Indigenous Treaty Bill on Thursday, sparking a heated exchange in the New Zealand parliament. The youngest member of New Zealand parliament and a representative of Te Pati Maori, Maipi-Clarke made her opposition clear by tearing a copy of the bill and performing the haka, a traditional Maori dance, during a session where MPs were set to vote on the legislation.
Her powerful protest resonated through the chamber, inspiring others to join in. Speaker Gerry Brownlee was forced to temporarily halt proceedings to restore order. The viral video of Maipi-Clarke’s act has since become a symbol of resistance for many.
The video posted by X handle @EndWokeness has, by now, garnered over 22 million views. Many users reacted to the video. One came in support of the Maori tribe saying, “It's important to understand and respect why the Māori perform the Haka in Parliament. It's more than tradition; it's an expression of their culture, a call for recognition of their rights, and a proud display of identity. Dismissing or mocking this is not only disrespectful but also shows a lack of understanding of cultural significance. Let's all strive to appreciate and honour the diversity within our communities.”
Another user wrote, “And here I thought politics in America was crazy with candidates getting reporters hurt.” A third user said, “It’s like an episode of the office or parks and recreation.”
Last week, the ACT New Zealand party, a minor partner in the nation’s centre-right coalition government, introduced a bill aiming to alter certain principles of the Treaty of Waitangi—a proposal that has faced fierce opposition from many within the Maori community.
Responding to the video, the ACT New Zealand party wrote, “We’re the party this protest was targeted at. We’ve proposed a law to guarantee equal rights for all New Zealanders, regardless of their ethnicity. The party doing the haka is the Māori Party who, among other things, advocate for a separate race-based Parliament, education system and health system.”
The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi set out principles to define the relationship between the government and Māori, granting tribes significant rights to keep their lands and safeguard their interests, while agreeing to British governance. This bill aims to extend those same protections to all New Zealanders.
Maipi-Clarke, who made history as New Zealand's youngest MP, captured widespread attention by performing the haka during her maiden parliamentary speech following her election in 2023.
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