The Maori Lawmakers' Haka Protest and Its Aftermath
Lawmakers of Maori descent temporarily barred from Parliament after staging traditional dance demonstration within its chambers in New Zealand
Three Maori lawmakers in New Zealand faced record suspensions of up to three weeks due to a dramatic haka performance during a Parliamentary session in 2023. This haka, a traditional Maori dance of defiance, was a powerful cultural statement against a controversial bill reinterpreting the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Haka Protest: A Moment of Truth
The Treaty of Waitangi, a pivotal agreement between the British Crown and Maori chiefs dating back to 1840, established governance and protected Maori rights. The bill in question sought to redefine the principles of this treaty, leading to widespread opposition from the Maori community. In response, the Maori Party MPs - Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Rawiri Waititi, along with other Maori members and visitors, performed the haka to voice their opposition during the bill's first reading in November 2023.
A Touchy Incident in the Chamber
Some lawmakers expressed discomfort with the way the Maori MPs approached them during the haka performance, while others cited the lack of permission for the protest. A parliamentary committee, led by Judith Collins of the center-right National Party, deemed the haka performance disruptive and recommended the suspensions.
Defiant Responses and Support
The three MPs declined to appear before the committee, citing disrespect for their cultural traditions. Their party argued that the process was "grossly unjust" and asserted that it had become personal. After the votes approving their suspensions, Waititi commented, "They are demonizing haka. They are making us out to be violent, to be disruptive, and our people have heard that for a long, long time."
A Setback in Reconciliation Efforts?
maori-historian and researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia, Julian Rawiri Kusabs, viewed the suspension as a setback in decades of reconciliation efforts between the New Zealand government and Maori communities. He stressed that the event reinforced the long-standing perception that "Māori culture is not equally respected within New Zealand’s formal institutions of governance."
A Symbol of Resistance
Despite the controversy and the suspensions, the haka protest was seen by many as a brave and powerful affirmation of Maori identity and a strong stand against perceived threats to their rights and culture. As Kusabs put it, "It would have been clearly understood by everyone in the Parliament that this was a peaceful act of protest done in a way that aligns with Māori tradition." The protest haka served as a potent reminder of the ongoing struggle for Maori representation and cultural respect within New Zealand's political system.
- The dramatic haka performance by Maori lawmakers is rooted in the Maori tradition of defiance, often used as a symbol of resistance against policies and legislation that contradict the Treaty of Waitangi, a historical agreement that established governance and protected Maori rights.
- The controversy surrounding the suspended Maori MPs' haka protest during the bill's first reading in 2023 reflects a larger issue of pension and legislation issues and cultural tensions within New Zealand's political system, particularly concerning war-and-conflicts, politics, and general news.
- The haka protest, considered a significant cultural statement by the Maori community, has raised conversations about the need for a more inclusive policy-and-legislation process that respects and incorporates the Maori culture in the formal institutions of governance, as the suspension of the Maori MPs was viewed by some experts as a setback in decades of reconciliation efforts between the New Zealand government and Maori communities.
