New Zealand MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has gone viral after performing the traditional Maori haka and tearing up a controversial bill during a parliamentary session.
The 22-year-old, the youngest MP since 1853, was part of a protest by Maori MPs to disrupt the vote on the Indigenous Treaty Bill, a proposed reinterpretation of an 184-year-old treaty between the British and the Indigenous Maori. The incident led to Speaker Gerry Brownlee suspending proceedings for a while.
Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke?
1. The young MP sees herself as a protector of the Maori language and represents the voice of New Zealand’s younger generation of voters.
🔥Unprecedented & simply magnificent. That time in Nov 2024 when a haka led by Aotearoa’s youngest MP 22yo Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke erupted in the House stopping the Treaty Principles Bill from passing its first reading, triggering the Speaker to suspend Parliament.… pic.twitter.com/pkI7q7WGlr
— Kelvin Morgan 🇳🇿 (@kelvin_morganNZ) November 14, 2024
When queried about her party’s vote on a contentious measure, Te Pati Maori’s Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke answered by performing haka, a traditional Maori chant of challenge. The performance sparked an outcry in parliament, with opposition legislators and onlookers in the public gallery joining in. She was suspended for one day from Parliament.
- Maipi-Clarke is New Zealand’s youngest MP in over 200 years. She initially drew notoriety after her election in 2023, when she delivered the traditional Haka during her first parliamentary address.
- Both Maipi-Clarke and her father were considered candidates for Te Pati Maori in the elections. She was ultimately picked because of her “youthful perspective.”
- Notably, Maipi-Clarke has been outspoken in her criticism of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his conservative administration, which has been accused of undermining Maori rights. As Luxon’s popularity has waned as a result of his tough measures, Maipi-Clarke has risen as one of five potential “preferred Prime Minister” candidates, according to a Time magazine survey.
- She has committed to defending Maori rights and culture. Maipi-Clarke also advocates for incorporating Indigenous knowledge and traditions into climate change mitigation efforts. Her grandpa, Taitimu Maipi, a member of the Maori activist organization Nga Tamatoa, influenced her activity, and she is also a grandniece to Maori language campaigner Hana Te Hemara.
- Maipi-Clarke is from Huntly, a tiny town situated between Auckland and Hamilton. While she tries not to be defined by her political job, she does operate a Maori community garden.
- According to various stories, in addition to her political and activist efforts, she also teaches horticulture to schoolchildren.
- Maipi-Clarke, a great advocate of the Maori language, hopes to be the future generation’s voice in her community. She also has a large social media following, with over 100,000 on Instagram.
- 10. Speaking to Time Magazine last year, Maipi-Clarke said that she wanted to stand up for younger voters and politically make them aware about how certain judgments can affect their daily lives. “Looking at the two main priorities for me coming into this was our indigenous ways of looking after our environment and looking after younger people who would usually go into gangs or who don’t feel connected to the culture. So those are probably my two top priorities, but like I said, there’s so much to cover,” she told the magazine.
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Source: Firstpost
