Watch: New Zealand's 21-year-old MP performs Māori haka in a powerful maiden parliament speech

A powerful and thought-provoking speech by a Member of Parliament in New Zealand went viral making many wonder what was the hidden meaning behind the speech. 21-year-old Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke presented her maiden speech to the parliament and dedicated her address to all tamariki Māori in the country, The New Zealand Herald reported. During the speech, Maipi-Clarke also repeated parts of her Te Petihana anniversary speech delivered in 2022. The speech became relevant again after the new Government’s plans to pare back the use of the Treaty and te reo Māori in legislation. Clarke created history after she became the youngest MP of New Zealand in 170 years.

“I will die for you ... but I will [also] live for you,” Clarke said in the powerful speech. “I truly feel like I’ve already said my maiden speech outside the steps of Parliament last year, for the 50th anniversary of Te Petihana. I dedicated [that] speech ... to my grandparents ... However, this speech today ... is dedicated to all our children. To the tamariki Māori who have been sitting in the back of their classroom their whole life, whakamā, waiting generations longing to learn their native tongue, to the tamariki who haven’t been to their pepeha yet, it is waiting for you with open arms,” she added. In her address the NZ MP urged the people of the community to “never fit in”.

The dress with a message

In her maiden speech, Clarke was dressed in a white suit with a red blouse which was interpreted as a tribute to the Tino rangatiratanga flag, The NZ Herald reported. During her address, Clarke slammed the government and insisted that the new regime had “attacked her whole world”.  “I was given some advice before making it into Parliament, to not take anything personally ... Well, I can’t help but take everything personally that has been said in this Chamber,” Clarke averred. “In only a couple of weeks ... this Government has attacked my whole world ... Health, taiao [environment], wai [water], whenua [land], natural resources, Māori wards, reo [language], tamariki, and the right of me and you to be in this country under Te Tiriti. How can I not take anything personally when it feels like these policies were made about me?” she asked. Clarke won the Hauraki-Waikato electorate against Labour stalwart Nanaia Mahuta, who held the seat since its formation in 2008 and has been an MP since 1996.