Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke? New Zealand's MP Whose Māori Haka in Parliament Went Viral

New Zealand MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has once again grabbed helines after a video of her performing tritional Māori haka and tearing up a copy of a controversial bill during a parliamentary session went viral.

New Zealand Parliament was temporarily halted when Te Pāti Māori (Māori Party) MPs staged a powerful protest against a bill that sought to reinterpret a treaty with Māori people. protest was sparked by Opposition MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who began performing a tritional haka in response to a question about her party’s stance on bill.

Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke?

22-year-old is country’s youngest MP since 1853. She previously gained fame for performing a haka during her maiden speech in Parliament. Hana is seen as voice of young voters in New Zealand. She is committed to protecting Māori rights and culture and supports using Indigenous knowledge to dress climate change. She has vocally opposed New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s government. Her great-great-great-grandfar was New Zealand's first Māori minister in Parliament.

Apart from politics, Hana also runs a Māori community garden and is involved in teaching school children about gardening. MP has a strong social media presence with over 100,000 followers on Instagram.

About Controversial Waitangi Treaty Bill

Last week, ACT New Zealand party, a junior partner in country’s center-right coalition government, introduced a bill aiming to alter certain principles of Treaty of Waitangi—a move that has faced strong opposition from many Māori.

Originally signed in 1840 between British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs, Treaty established framework for governance between two parties. Its interpretation continues to influence legislation and policy today.

However, bill is widely seen by many Māori and ir supporters as a threat to rights of New Zealand’s Indigenous population, which makes up about 20% of country’s 5.3 million people.

As bill passed its first reing, hundreds of individuals began a nine-day march from norrn part of New Zealand to capital, Wellington, to express ir prote