Māori Lawmakers Perform Traditional Haka Dance to Protest New Zealand Bill

Māori lawmakers performed a traditional haka dance to protest a New Zealand bill.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, Parliament was suspended after opposition lawmakers performed the dance while the bill was read, according to the New York Times. According to the outlet, the proposed bill could redefine New Zealand's relationship with Indigenous people and overwrite a treaty established almost 200 years ago.

When speaker Gerry Brownlee asked Māori lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke how her party voted in regards to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, she tore what appeared to be a copy of the bill and began the haka.

According to NBC, a haka is a Maori dance that was "traditionally a challenge to opponents."

In a video shared by The Associated Press, Maipi-Clarke was joined by other members of the opposition and people seated in the gallery as she performed the ceremonial dance. Parliament was then called for the day, with Brownlee calling the act of protest "disrespectful," the Times reported.

The Treaty of Waitangi, which is the focus of the proposed bill, dates back to 1840 and is considered New Zealand's founding document. The agreement was signed by Māori chiefs and the British monarchy and focused on rectifying wrongs done to the indigenous people when the country was colonized.

The interpretation of the treaty still influences lawmakers to this day, per CNN, and 20% of New Zealand's 5.3 million population is made up of Indigenous people. 

The Act, a right-wing political party, claims to want "equal rights" for all, and would negatively impact race relations with the bill, the Times reported, adding that their proposed bill interprets the 1840 treaty differently and would potentially undermine the rights of the Māori.

It is considered controversial by many, and thousands marched towards Wellington, New Zealand's capital, in protest of the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill.

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Per ABC News, those who oppose the proposed bill claim that it would "eliminate dedicated land, government seats, health care initiatives and cultural preservation efforts granted to the Maori people."

New Zealand's National Party has made efforts to avoid the bill. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is a member of the National Party, told reporters, "You do not go and negate, with a single stroke of a pen, 184 years of debate and discussion with a bill that I think is very simplistic."

CNN reported that the bill passed its first reading but is unlikely to become law.