#Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Ten things to know about Hana’s haka

By Arama Rata

On Nov. 14, 22-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke made global headlines when she performed a powerful haka, a Māori war cry, in New Zealand’s Parliament, tearing a copy of a controversial bill as part of her protest. A TikTok video of the moment, posted by Māori Television, has since been viewed over 200 million times and has garnered over 25 million likes in just three days. Online pundits have debated the effectiveness of the theatrical protest, but the bigger questions remain: Who is this young lawmaker? Why did she perform this haka? And what impact is her action likely to have on the broader movement for Māori sovereignty? Here are ten things you should know about Hana’s haka.

[citedesdames]

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[5ellaal5]

Ten things to know about Hana’s haka

Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke captured global attention with a powerful haka performed to protest the controversial Treaty Principles Bill

November 20, 2024 by Arama Rata

On Thursday, 22-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke made global headlines when she performed a powerful haka, a Māori war cry, in New Zealand’s Parliament, tearing a copy of a controversial bill as part of her protest. A TikTok video of the moment, posted by Māori Television, has since been viewed over 200 million times and has garnered over 25 million likes in just three days. Online pundits have debated the effectiveness of the theatrical protest, but the bigger questions remain: Who is this young lawmaker? Why did she perform this haka? And what impact is her action likely to have on the broader movement for Māori sovereignty? Here are ten things you should know about Hana’s haka.

Hana’s election victory

Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was elected to Parliament at just 21 years old, making her New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament in 170 years. Her victory was surprising—not because of her age, but because she unseated one of the country’s most seasoned politicians, Nanaia Mahuta, to win the Hauraki-Waikato Māori electorate seat.

Mahuta, a long-serving Labour MP, was widely considered certain to retain her seat. In 2017, experienced tribal leader Rāhui Papa had contested the seat against Mahuta with the full backing of the Māori King, only to suffer a crushing defeat in a race that seemed to solidify Mahuta’s unshakeable hold on the electorate.

Hana’s rise in popularity

So how did Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke secure her historic election victory against such a formidable opponent? Part of the shift in voter preference can be attributed to declining support for the Labour Party, which, despite two terms in power, had delivered little for Māori. In contrast, the Māori Party’s popularity had been rising since it secured two seats in the 2020 election with its campaign to be “unapologetically Māori.”

A key factor in Hana’s rise was the series of threats she faced in the lead-up to the election—including home invasions, vandalism, and a threatening letter. When asked if these attacks had intimidated her, Hana responded with resolve: “Don’t be scared, because the Kohanga Reo generation is here,” referring to the generation of Māori educated in Māori language immersion schooling from an early age. Rather than weaken her campaign, Hana’s steadfastness in the face of these threats only secured greater support.

Why Hana performed a haka

Hana performed the haka Ka Mate during Parliament’s first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill—an attempt by the far-right coalition government to strip Māori of their Treaty rights. The bill is widely regarded as one of the most egregious measures in a series of legislative changes pushed by the government, which Māori view as direct attacks on their health, language, culture, and land rights.

A 9-day nationwide hīkoi (protest march), beginning at the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island, was planned to arrive at Parliament on the day of the bill’s first reading. However, with just two days’ notice, the government moved the first reading forward, scheduling it for a date just four days into the hīkoi—when the marchers had only reached the Waikato region. This move was widely perceived as a cynical, anti-democratic attempt to stifle debate and avoid the pressure of Māori exercising their right to protest. By performing the haka, Hana disrupted parliamentary proceedings as the votes were being counted.

What Hana said in Parliament

Hana began by calmly stating in her native language, “Six votes opposed.” She then performed a pao—an impromptu song—reminding members of Parliament of their place within the country: “Government! You were made a guest by me!” Despite Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee’s attempt to interrupt, Hana launched into the iconic haka Ka Mate. She was joined by members of her own party, Māori MPs from Labour and the Greens, and a packed public gallery.

The haka Ka Mate was composed in 1820 by celebrated Māori leader Te Rauparaha of the Ngāti Toa Rangatira tribe. It speaks to moments of “life or death” and celebrates the triumph of surviving seemingly insurmountable odds, making it an apt protest against the controversial bill.

Author: Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho

Hīkoi as a tactic in Māori activism

Hīkoi is a Māori word meaning “walk,” but as a form of activism, it has taken on a deeper significance and played a central role in the Māori sovereignty movement. The tactic was famously used in the 1975 Land March to oppose the theft of Māori land and again in 2004 to protest the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

The latest hīkoi was led by Toitū Te Tiriti, a group with strong ties to Hana’s political party. It began at Te Rerenga Wairua, the northernmost point of New Zealand, and involved relay teams physically traversing the land, accompanied by car convoys traveling between protest action points. In this way, the land was symbolically and physically reclaimed, while momentum built as the hīkoi progressed toward Parliament. On Tuesday, November 19, the hīkoi reached Wellington, where the march on Parliament was one of the largest in the nation’s history.

Hana’s role in the hīkoi

While Hana has received widespread praise for her haka, less attention has been given to her earlier work that day in the Waikato region, 550km north of Parliament. Hana met the hīkoi in her hometown and completed a 16km relay leg through her electorate. There, she delivered a speech and expressed a mix of weariness and hope, saying, “I’m sick of fighting.” She urged Māori to update the rallying cry, Ka whawhai tonu mātou! Ake! Ake! Ake! (We will fight forever and ever and ever), to Ka ora tonu mātou! Ake! Ake! Ake! (We will live and be well forever and ever and ever).

Hana’s international recognition

Despite being only one year into her political career, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has already received international recognition. This year, Time magazine named her as a ‘next generation leader’, and she was one of four people to be awarded the ‘One Young World Politician of the Year’.

Hana’s view of the world

Hana is a member of Te Pāti Māori (The Māori Party), which currently holds six seats in Parliament and has been vocal in its criticism of New Zealand’s foreign policy. In a statement on Gaza, the party condemned the government for “turning a blind eye to genocide” and urged New Zealand to end its role in “providing political cover for US-funded imperialism” and “acting as a Pacific spy base for the Five Eyes Alliance.” The party also demanded “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza” and called for New Zealand to “expel the Israeli and United States ambassadors” until a ceasefire is achieved.

Reactions to Hana’s haka

The viral video of Hana’s haka has sparked online debate about the effectiveness of using haka as a protest tactic, particularly when performed by a member of Parliament. Critics who argue that a haka alone won’t achieve meaningful change often fail to acknowledge the broader context of the concurrent mass mobilization. Meanwhile, those who label Hana’s haka as “uncivilized” can be dismissed as racist.

Some critiques, however, have raised important points—ones that those within the Māori protest movement are acutely aware of. Protest movements should be led by the people, not politicians. Yet, the group leading the recent hīkoi has become closely associated with Hana’s Māori Party, creating a contradiction: the type of transformative change needed cannot be achieved through electoral politics alone. A broader political solution, such as constitutional transformation, is essential. Māori must remain vigilant to ensure the movement for constitutional justice is not co-opted for electoral gains within the settler government framework.

Additionally, hīkoi as a tactic alone would be insufficient unless it is clear that the mass mobilization is prepared to escalate if their demands are not met. Hana hinted at this potential, stating that if the government continues to push the bill, “honestly, it’s going to cause riots.”

Hana’s own reaction to her haka

After halting proceedings with her haka, Hana exited the House, where she was immediately surrounded by reporters asking why she had performed the haka. Hana casually responded that she was simply being Māori, as that’s all she knows. Her words reflected those of the late Māori King, Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, who addressed legislative attacks on Māori at a gathering earlier this year. In August, he said:

“The best protest we can make right now is being Māori. Be who we are. Live our values. Speak our reo. Care for our mokopuna, our awa, our maunga. Just be Māori. Be Māori all day, every day. We are here. We are strong.”

Upholding Te Tiriti

On Tuesday, November 19, the hīkoi arrived at Parliament. While the Treaty Principles Bill is unlikely to pass its second reading, there remains the possibility of a citizen-initiated referendum on the bill. If this occurs, Māori—who make up 17.8% of New Zealand’s population—could face the tyranny of the majority, similar to what happened during Australia’s Voice to Parliament referendum.

However, the hīkoi has always been about more than the Treaty Principles Bill. The Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi is a movement to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi—the true Treaty, written in Māori. If fully honored, the Treaty calls for radical constitutional change in Aotearoa. While the current far-right government’s attacks on Māori have been distressing, they have also served to unite, galvanize, and radicalize the community. As Hana herself put it:

“Why are they [the Crown] consistently dictating over us when that’s not what the Treaty says? That is not what our founding document says. It says, you look after your people, we’ll look after our people, and we can get along. It does not say you govern over us. And that’s the bigger question that we’re starting to ask ourselves now.”

Dr. Arama Rata is a Māori independent researcher in Aotearoa New Zealand.

[cosmicvenusnebula]

Its Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke. She is a New Zealand Politician who is Māori, the indigenous of the land.

The government of NZ was basically trying to ban Māori culture and language. Like how America did with Hawaiians and other Native American cultures. It's fucked up.

So, right before the vote, she ripped the paper and started a Haka, which is a Māori Battle Cry, all Māori people in the crowd started yelling and dancing with her, successfully putting off the vote.

She's only 22 and she is already standing up for Māori rights ✨️

[tieflingkisser]

‘I ripped that in half and chucked it away’ - Hana-Rāwhiti delivers speech after world-shaking haka

Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was warmly greeted by an audience of 35,000 outside the place she was suspended from for 24 hours just a week ago. She has been an international viral sensation over the past week after leading a world-shaking haka in Parliament’s debating chamber.

[…]

“This march is about us, walking, marching, side by side, generation by generation. This bill divides us as a country; the Treaty unites us, all ages, all races,” the MP said.

[...]

She called for the Māori in the crowd to switch to the Māori electoral roll. “If every single Māori person registered on the Māori roll, we would have 20 automatic Māori seats in Parliament." Currently, there are only seven Māori seats in the House of Representatives. Ending the speech, she said the hikoi wasn’t just for iwi Māori but for all indigenous communities across the globe. “The world is watching us te iwi Māori, whatever we do next. All indigenous people are relying on us. “It’s not just about us te iwi Māori, it’s about us as indigenous people liberating ourselves to Hawaiki mau, so who’s coming with us?”

[foxglovevibes]

As a Māori woman, seeing all these idiots talking out of their ass about how the incredible Haka performed in protest, started MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke and continued by the rest of Te Pāti Māori, in the chambers of parliament this past week, saying how it was "unprofessional" and "cringe", I just have to say:

You lot don't seem to think it's fucking "cringe" when the All Blacks do it before a rugby match.

Anytime I see footage covering Haka performed before rugby, I see how people all like to harp on about how Haka is meant to be a call to arms, a declaration of war and challenge to opponents when being met across the field of battle.

And yet.

The very second it's being utilised as it was always intended to be, in an unbelievably crucial time in our country's recent history, you all turn your noses up. You all start talking absolute fucking horseshit simply because it isn't being used in a way that's convenient for you, because it isn't being given to you in the microdoses you like to delight in for some cultural exposure.

And it all boils down to the fact that we are simply done with giving you to option to turn away, to give us a false sense of empathy and interest. Boils down to how Māori are challenging you to truly LOOK. To SEE. And UNDERSTAND just what this all means. And if you can't handle seeing how we are undaunted in our unending fight to be heard in the land that is rightfully ours, how unafraid we are to draw strength from our culture, our people and the stories of our ancestors that have survived countless attempts to be washed away?

Then you know that this challenge is meant for YOU.

[williexmercer]

day one of talking about women;

first up is Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke

if you don’t know who she is

She is the youngest MP in New Zealand and represents Te Pāti Māori in the Parliament.

She gained national attention while speaking against a horrible bill

Her latest haka was heard all over and is not her first haka in parliament

Having so much passion on behalf of your people is what everyone should aspire to do



love Māori woman

Love Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke

[no1l1keme]

here's my limited attempt at context

the Act party (right wing) and their leader, David Seymour, drafted a bill called The Treaty Principals Bill, though the party have said they don't support him in making the legislation law. The other parties in parliament are also opposed.

The bill is about Te Tiriti Waitangi (the treaty of Waitangi) which was a document from 1840 between Māori rangatira and the british crown, which stated that Māori were entitled to land and natural resources, and restitution if that right were ever breached. It was poorly translated, and did not effectively communicate the ceding of Māori sovereignty to the british empire. It is also not fully legally binding, and not actually a treaty.

The Treaty Principals Bill aims to make te tiriti apply to all citizens of New Zealand, not just Māori.

Māori people see this as undermining the struggles and rights of the Māori and have been protesting for weeks. Te Pāti Māori (the Māori political party) said that "The tiriti (treaty) and debating the tiriti is something that only belongs with the chiefs of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes) and the Crown."

The woman who began the haka is Te Pāti Māori Minister Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, and most of the people who joined her are other Māori ministers.

much better footage of the haka that shut down parliament today

[prodict]

Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke

[nasze-zd]

Marsz

We wtorek zakończył się marsz w obronie Traktatu z Waitangi.

Nawe najwcześniejsze ranne pociągi do centrum, normalnie pustawe, były wypełnione ludźmi (przypis: pasażerowie musieli stać — za pełny uważa się środek transportu, gdzie wszystkie miejsca siedzące są zajęte, powyżej tego to już aberracja taka, że piszą o niej w gazetach). Na Hutt Road już o 7 rano zmierzała do centrum kilkusetosobowa grupa nie tylko dorosłych, ale też dzieci w wózkach lub na piechotę. Od razu było widać, że pomimo tego, że przyszli tu walczyć o swoje prawa, demonstranci byli pokojowo nastawieni i dużo bardziej przypominało to pielgrzymkę, niż protesty antyszczepionkowców i innych anarchistów, jakich Wellington doświadczyło latem 2022 roku.

Protestujący na Willis Street.

Piszę, że protest zakończył się we wtorek, bo rozpoczął się jakiś tydzień wcześniej. Była to seria demonstracji we wszystkich większych miastach kraju, mająca formę zlotu. Jakaś część protestujących rozpoczęła go na obu końcach Nowej Zelandii, zmierzając autami w stronę Wellington. Zatrzymując się w kolejnych miastach po drodze, maszerowali ich głównymi ulicami, a dołączali do nich Maori i ich sympatycy z danego rejonu.

Ostatecznie ściągnęło ich do stolicy 42 tysiące, nawet do 55 tysięcy, według niektórych źródeł. Trudno powiedzieć, ilu z nich przyjechało z daleka, a ilu dołączyło lokalnie. Bez względu na to, była to prawdopodobnie najliczniejsza demonstracja w całej historii Nowej Zelandii. Pod parlamentem skandowali: "precz z ustawą!", wygłoszono kilka przemówień. Wśród mówców była Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, owa posłanka Partii Maori, znana czytelnikom zapewne z wiralowej haki, której sława dotarła aż do Polski. Około 15:00, gdy wracałem z pracy, tłum już się całkowicie rozszedł, tylko gromadki ludzi z flagami Tino przypominały o dopiero co zakończonym historycznym wydarzeniu.

Flaga Maori, Tino Rangatiratanga, (c) by of code: cs:User:-xfi-; of flag, Linda Munn, Jan Dobson and Hiraina Marsden. Public Domain

O co w tym wszystkim chodziło? Otóż podstawą stosunków między Koroną Brytyjską a Maori jest pochodzący z 1840 roku Traktat z Waitangi. Dokument ów, podpisany przez konsula brytyjskiego oraz ok. 540 wodzów i reprezentantów różnych plemion maoryskich, jest dwujęzyczny, przy czym wersje językowe różnią się nieco w kluczowych słowach, z uwagi na niedoskonałą znajomość Te Reo Maori przez ówczesnego tłumacza, oraz brak dokładnej odpowiedniości pojęć w obu językach. Nic więc dziwnego, że w ciągu blisko dwóch stuleci interpretowania Traktatu te różnice silnie wybrzmiewały.

Jak większość (jeśli nie całość) porozumień zawartych w historii świata przez strony o skrajnie nierównych siłach, Traktat z Waitangi nie uchronił Maori przed stratą większości ziem, mimo że gwarantował Koronie Brytyjskiej monopol jedynie na ich skup, a nie przejmowanie. Był systematycznie podskubywany, a opór wobec kolejnych zaborów karany konfiskatami. Tereny plemienne stanowią obecnie około 6% powierzchni kraju i są to, z gospodarczego punktu widzenia, nieużytki.

Trudno się więc dziwić, że kolejna na przestrzeni wieków próba "ujednolicenia" interpretacji Traktatu poprzez nową ustawę, jest przez słabszych jego sygnatariuszy postrzegana jako jeszcze jeden zamach na ich ciągle okrawane własności i przywileje, przeprowadzany pod płaszczykiem "równości".

Nie wiem, kto ma rację w tym sporze, a zagadnienie od strony prawnej jest bardzo szerokie i wykracza poza moje zainteresowania. Dostrzegam jednak również, pod wszechobecną oficjalną przykrywką maorimanii, liczne resentymenty antymaoryskie wśród białej społeczności i to one prawdopodobnie były paliwem dla proponowanych zmian, przedłożonych przez prawicowe partie.

[the-quiet-fire-of-defiance]

[Video description:

A video taken in the NZ Parliament debate chamber. It starts zoomed in on MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, a young Māori woman. She holds up a piece of paper (the bill being debated) and rips it in two. She chants a haka, a fierce look on her face, as she makes her way down from her seat to stand in front of the opposing MPs and chant directly at them. Two members of her party join her. Several other people are standing to join the haka. The camera pans up to show the public gallery, where most of the members of the public have also joined in on the haka. The words of the haka, which is repeated three times, are:

Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora!

Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora!

Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru

Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā

Ā, upane! ka upane!

Ā, upane, ka upane, whiti te rā!

After the haka ends there is some intelligible shouting and the sound of the Speaker of the House saying "The House is to be suspended, that is what the ringing of the bells means, and the gallery is to be cleared-"]

Translation of the haka:

I will die, I will die! I will live, I will live! (x2)

This is the woman who fetched the sun and caused it to shine again

A step forward, another step forward (×2)

The sun shines!

You can read more about the ka mate haka here.

If you want to support our fight to defeat the anti-Māori policies and rhetoric being espoused by this government, donate to the Hīkoi mo Te Tiriti (March for the Treaty). We were trying to move tens of thousands of people across the country as well as housing and feeding them, every donation counts

Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP in Aotearoa, starts a haka to protest the first vote on a bill reinterpreting the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi

[positivelyqueer]

[ID: an areal photo showing enormous masses of people gathered in front of the parliament building in Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand), including the surrounding streets and parklands. /end ID]

For people not aware of politics in Aotearoa right now, this protest is about the rights of Māori people and was sparked by the presentation of drafted legislature into parliament called the Treaty Principles Bill. It would reinterpret the Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) which was signed between Māori leaders and the British Crown in 1840.

You've likely seen the viral video of Māori Party MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke leading a haka with other members of the Māori Party in parliament on the 14th of November. (And if you haven't I would recomend that you do.)

The specifics surrounding this are complex and have a very long history. I would recommend doing your own research into it, especially from Māori voices.

One for the literal history books...

50,000 people 🖤🥝