New Delhi: In a powerful display of cultural and political protest, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP, made headlines by performing a haka and tearing up a copy of the contentious Treaty Principles Bill during a parliamentary session. The Te Pati Maori MP, known for her passionate defense of Maori rights, was joined by supporters from the public gallery, prompting Speaker Gerry Brownlee to suspend the session temporarily.
The controversial bill, introduced by the ACT New Zealand party, aims to revise certain principles in the Treaty of Waitangi, a foundational document signed in 1840 by the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs. The Treaty, which established a framework for governance between Maori and British settlers, continues to influence New Zealand’s legal and policy landscape. Many Maori see the proposed changes as a direct threat to their rights and heritage, sparking widespread backlash.
Following the bill’s first reading, hundreds of Maori protesters embarked on a nine-day “hikoi,” or protest march, from northern New Zealand to the capital, Wellington, as a symbolic act of resistance. The coalition government’s National Party and New Zealand First have conditionally supported the bill through its first reading but have indicated that they will not support it in its final stages.
“You cannot erase 184 years of discussion and negotiation with a simplistic piece of legislation,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remarked before departing for the APEC summit in Peru, signaling his concerns over the bill’s potential to disrupt longstanding agreements.
Maipi-Clarke’s public protest highlights the rising tensions surrounding indigenous rights and the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi, drawing national and international attention to the debate over the bill’s implications.
