Watch as a Māori politician performs a haka and tears up a bill, resulting in the suspension of the New Zealand parliament
New Zealand’s parliament came to a halt when Indigenous politicians performed a haka in protest of a proposed law that could redefine the country’s founding treaty with the Māori people.
Opposition MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori began a traditional ceremonial chant when asked if her Indigenous party would vote for or against the law.
Mapi-Clarke, 22, then proceeded to rip up a copy of the bill.
Parliament’s speaker Gerry Brownlee was unable to quell the chants from the party and had to suspend Mapi-Clarke from parliament for a day.
How could the law change New Zealand’s founding treaty with the Māori people?
The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which shapes government relations with the Māori, promised Indigenous tribes broad rights to their land and interests in exchange for giving up self-governance to the then-British colonial power.
The new law would specify that these rights should apply to all New Zealanders, not just the Māori.
The bill’s author, David Seymour, leader of the minor libertarian party ACT and who is Māori himself said: “What all of these principles have in common is that they afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders.”
Willie Jackson, a veteran Māori lawmaker, shouted “Shame! Shame! Shame on you, David Seymour,” adding “Shame on you for what you’re trying to do to this nation”.
However, the bill does not have great support among New Zealand’s politicians and is unlikely to become law, as they argue the bill threatens racial harmony and constitutional stability.
Critics also point out that by the mid-20th century, Indigenous languages and cultures were suppressed, and much tribal land had been confiscated. The Māori faced disadvantages across all metrics.
As the Indigenous rights movement grew in the 1970s, lawmakers and the courts began to clarify their understanding of what the treaty promised the Māori: partnership with the Crown, participation in decision-making, and protection of their interests.
Subsequent political actions were taken to uphold the treaty. Significant land settlements were established, the country began to embrace the Māori language, and the Māori were guaranteed representation in both central and local government.
Despite the bill’s unpopularity, it did manage to pass its first vote on Thursday after dominating public discussion for months.
Thousands of protesters are due to arrive in the capital, Wellington, on Tuesday for what is likely to become one of the largest race relations marches in New Zealand’s history.
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