Indigenous Maori lawmakers staged a dramatic protest in New Zealand’s parliament, performing a powerful haka to oppose a controversial bill that seeks to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, the nation’s foundational agreement.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a 22-year-old Maori Party MP, tore up the proposed bill before performing the Ka Mate haka, a ceremonial challenge made famous by the All Blacks rugby team. Other Maori Party members joined her in a rare act of defiance on the parliamentary floor.
Parliamentary Speaker Gerry Brownlee denounced the demonstration as “grossly disorderly,” ordering the public gallery to be cleared and suspending the session temporarily.
The bill, proposed by a minor coalition party, aims to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and British colonists to establish peace. Opponents warn the changes could undermine educational and social programs supporting Maori communities.
Although the bill lacks backing from two major coalition partners, it has ignited nationwide protests, including a massive “hikoi” march involving around 10,000 people. Protesters have blocked major highways en route to Wellington, where they plan to hold a rally at parliament early next week.
Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi accused the government of “waging war on our existence as Maori and on the fabric of this nation.”
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