New Zealand’s Youngest MP Stirs Parliament with Māori Haka Dance to Protest Controversial Treaty Bill

Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke, a 22-year-old MP from Te Pāti Māori and the youngest member of the House, staged a protest by performing the traditional Māori haka dance and shredding a copy of the Treaty Principles Bill, so displaying a potent moment of Māori resistance right before the Parliament. The demonstration set off a reaction in Parliament whereby other MPs and onlookers joined Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, causing Speaker Gerry Brownlee to momentarily call off the session.

Background on the Treaty Waitangi And The Treaty Principles Bill

Signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs, the Treaty of Waitangi created governance rules that have influenced the political scene of New Zealand almost two centuries ago. It granted Māori tribes rights to retain their territory and interests in exchange for supplying the British government. Legislation and policies still mirror the values of the Treaty, which has progressively granted Māori rights.

Originally proposed by ACT New Zealand, a junior member of the center-right coalition government, the new Treaty Principles Bill seeks to restrict the interpretation of the treaty by suggesting that its values should apply consistently to all persons. Māori leaders and supporters have fiercely criticised the bill, saying it violates Indigenous rights and runs the risk of escalating racial tensions.

Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP?

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has become a big champion of Māori rights since she was elected in 2023. Being the youngest MP in almost two hundred years, she made news and has been outspoken in her criticism of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his government, some of which claim compromises of Māori rights. Her support of Indigenous rights has resonated in New Zealand, leading to her ranking among the top five favored Prime Minister candidates in a most recent poll.

Maipi-Clarke’s latest demonstration during the parliamentary session highlights her dedication to Indigenous representation. Tearing up the Treaty Principles Bill midway through the session, she showed support for Māori people who view the law as a direct threat to their rights.

Nationwide Anti- Treaty Principles Bill Protests

Widespread demonstrations have been triggered by the publication of the Treaty Principles Bill. Beginning in the north and converging in Wellington, thousands of New Zealanders set out on a nine-day “hikoi,” (march), across the nation to oppose the measure. Along the road, mass demonstrations in towns and cities have seen many waving the Māori flag and dressing traditionally to voice their opposition.

About 10,000 people participated in the march in Rotorua; supporters lined the streets to encourage them. Tens of thousands of people are expected to join in support as the march ends in a major gathering in Wellington.

Limited Legislative Support and Uncertain Future for the Bill

Though it passes its first reading, the Treaty Principles Bill has a perilous future. Coalition partners to ACT, the National Party and New Zealand First, have promised to support the measure through just the first readings, therefore satisfying coalition responsibilities without intending to get it into law. Red acting 184 years of Treaty debate with “a stroke of a pen” is facile, Prime Minister Luxon said, criticizing the measure.

Leader of ACT New Zealand David Seymour has supported the law, saying it seeks to foster togetherness. Many Māori, nevertheless, consider it as a disrespect to the accepted Treaty values. The bill’s chances of becoming law seem low given scant support beyond the first phases.

Finally, a National Debate on Māori Rights And Representation

With her haka protest highlighting a turning point in the continuous conversation on Māori rights and representation, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s audacious acts in Parliament have heightened the discourse on the Treaty Principles Bill. The bill has sparked a fervent debate on Indigenous rights and the legacy of the Treaty of Waitangi while national demonstrations go on, therefore ensuring that the views of New Zealand’s Māori people take front stage.