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It does not matter that the name Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke may sound unremarkable in New Zealand’s political landscape; the lady is a pioneer. She is only 22 years and 8 months old, making her the youngest MP in nearly two centuries. She is also a symbol of a new age of leaders whose traditional and cultural values and human rights activism are iconic.
Last year, Maipi-Clarke became famous for an electric protest in parliament, during which she danced the Maori haka and shredded the Indigenous Treaty Bill. But her actions were not just for publicity’s sake; she was determined to fight for Maori rights and any policy that she seemed to consider inconsequential to Maori sovereignty.
🔥Unprecedented & simply magnificent. That time in Nov 2024 when a haka led by Aotearoa’s youngest MP 22yo Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke erupted in the House stopping the Treaty Principles Bill from passing its first reading, triggering the Speaker to suspend Parliament.… pic.twitter.com/pkI7q7WGlr
— Kelvin Morgan 🇳🇿 (@kelvin_morganNZ) November 14, 2024
A Legacy of Activism and Culture
The political career of Maipi-Clarke is influenced by the cultural background in a way. Raised in Huntly, a small township halfway between Auckland and Hamilton, her youth was focused on Maori livelihoods and rights activism. Her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, was part of a Maori activist group known as Nga Tamatoa, which preceded the Maori protest movement of the 1970s. Her grand-aunt Hana Te Hemara was one of the leaders of the Maori language movement.
Continuing this tradition, Maipi-Clarke has been very attentive as the defender of Maori culture. Ever since she was young, she was given a lesson that leadership means not you or me but for you people and that you keep the identity you hold dear at all costs.
From her mouth, “Politics is not just about making or enacting laws; it is about defending the soul of people. My people died to keep our culture alive, and I am alive to do the same too.”
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clark Making History in Parliament
Maipi-Clarke was the youngest elected female member in the New Zealand parliament in 2023, and she was making waves immediately when she began her first speech. Con proceeded to start by performing an incantation of the haka, which is a defiant ceremonial Maori dance or chant.
Such a gesture paved the way for the mark of her entire term in the state house. They didn’t go in and simply follow the rules; they said in no uncertain terms that Maori culture would not be ignored.
Forward to 2024, and Maipi-Clarke was back in the news doing her haka. This time, it was in response to the Indigenous Treaty Bill, which is a current bill for changing the contents of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement signed by the British Crown and Maori chiefs in 1840.
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Opponents of the bill say that its language weakens guarantees made to Maori people, which may lead to gradual regression of their status and embodies a threat of ethnic conflict. Maipi-Clarke was not a woman to beat around the bush at least not in terms of words and physical movements. Whereas, to show how much she opposed, she threw a copy of the bill to the intro and performed a haka dance in parliament.
A Voice for the Next Generation
Other than her involvement in the parliament, Maipi-Clarke also has strong relations with the young people in New Zealand. It has been her ethos to delineate the space of the contemporary Maori of New Zealand with the route toward recognizing their Indigenous roots as part of their identity, especially when some of the youths from their tribes are lost in the contemporary Anglo-American way of life.
‘We seem to be losing the battle for the youth.’ She said in an interview. “Whether it is getting lost in systemization or falling into gang affiliation, they need to be reminded of who and what they are. That’s where real change starts.”
They include starting a Maori community garden in Huntly, whereby she uses children to educate them on sustainability and re-establish Maori ways of living. She also stresses the need to integrate indigenous ways of knowing about climate change solutions, enshrined in the climate change bill, as fundamental both for Maori peoples and the globe.
The Haka Dance of Maori People: More Than a Dance
As the researcher, Maipi-Clarke understands the haka not merely as an orchestrated dance or song and chant display; it is political, cultural, dissent, and prideful denial. Every movement and the chant we see here is the continuation of generations and their fight, strength, and dreams.
This particular dance, particularly when performed by women, has elicited mixed reactions on the political fronts they are performed on. People believe that it is a rebellious message for Maori people and their struggle for equal rights. Sophisticated critics, on the other hand, contend that the said protests distort the dignity of parliamentary sittings.
“The haka is who we are. That’s who we are as a company, and that’s our choir. If using it in parliament will give us an audience, then I will use it every time.”
Maipi Clarke
What will Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke do next?
In becoming a young and rather vocal MP for New Zealand, Maipi-Clarke has a long way to go. Her work is still being committed to Maori people’s advancement, upholding Indigenous people’s rights, and giving the generations to come the spirit and morale of sticking to their cultural roots.
The Indigenous Treaty Bill has recently gone through the first vote, but Maipi-Clarke and her allies are not ready to give up yet. More demonstrations are being organized across the country with people supporting her.
When political discourses seem so impersonal, Maipi-Clarke’s choice of action is quite genuine. She is not only a politician but also a cultural figure, a young people’s defender, and a beacon of hope for change.
Key Takeaways About Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
- She was elected in 2023 at age twenty-two, which makes her the youngest MP of New Zealand after 1853.
- Maipi-Clarke is a strong advocate of the Maori people, and she has roots in the activist movement.
- The Indigenous Treaty Bill that she protested, including haka and ripping the bill, has brought discussions on Indigenous sovereignty back to the forefront in New Zealand.
- She holds a political position, and with this position, she engages herself in social activities such as teaching young people about sustainability and Maori culture.
- As she gains more followers on her social media platforms and works on becoming even bolder in her appearances in the House of Parliament, Jacinda Ardern is a leader who is the heart of a new generation of politics in New Zealand.
