New Zealand MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has captivated the world with her performance of a Māori haka in parliament.
The 21-year-old, the youngest MP since 1853, honoured the Indigenous people of New Zealand by performing a traditional haka, or war cry, as part of her maiden speech in December.
In the resurfaced video, the chant reverberates around the parliamentary chamber as Māori MPs join in with the haka.
New Zealand’s youngest MP in 170 years, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a 21yr old Māori, gives her maiden speech in the Parliament. pic.twitter.com/0rT0DOAouN
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) January 5, 2024
"I will die for you ... but I will also live for you," Maipi-Clarke then says, with parts of her speech delivered in the Indigenous tongue of te reo Māori.
Maipi-Clarke's inaugural address comes amid fears for Māori rights after a new government, led by the conservative National Party, was elected in October.
So what does NZ's youngest MP stand for and why is this moment significant?
Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke?
The young politician considers herself a guardian of the Māori language and hopes to be the voice of a new generation of young voters in New Zealand.
She replaced veteran Māori politician Nanaia Mahuta in the Hauraki-Wakaito seat in October to represent Te Pāti Māori, a party focused on Indigenous rights.
Maipi-Clarke told Time magazine she wanted to represent younger voters and politically re-engage them by making them aware of how political decisions affect their lives.
She has vowed to protect Māori rights and culture and is an advocate for using Indigenous knowledge and practices to address climate change.
She draws inspiration from her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, a member of the Māori activist group Nga Tamatoa, and she is also a grand-niece to Māori language activist Hana Te Hemara.
The NZ Herald reported that her great, great, great grandfather was New Zealand's first Māori minister in parliament.
Source: SBS News
