New Zealand’s youngest MP in 170 years, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, performed the ‘Maori haka’ to honour her indigenous people in Parliament. The video of the 21-year-old MP has been doing the rounds on social media as she delivered her first speech in Parliament, performing the traditional 'haka' or 'war cry' dedicated to all tamariki Māori.
In her speech, Maipi-Clarke said, "I will die for you ... but I will [also] live for you."
“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," she said, adding she dedicated that speech to her grandparents. "However, this speech today ... is dedicated to all our children," she told parliament in December.
At the opening of the speech, she performed Māori haka, the war dance of the Māori people in New Zealand.
That video has gone viral on social media and over 17.7 million people have watched the video to date, and the count is continuously rising. The post has also garnered a lot of comments by the netizens.
What is 'Maori Haka’?
'Maori Haka’ was a customary way to greet visiting tribes while also serving as a means to energize warriors before battle. The Māori performance of haka is a source of pride for all citizens of New Zealand. It is performed most famously by the All Blacks and the New Zealand Defence Force.
However, Haka is the Māori word for dance, it is not a dance in the sense you might imagine. Usually performed in a group, it involves chanting and actions, such as stamping, hand movements, and facial gestures.
Who is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke?
According to the NZ Herald, the 21-year-old is the youngest MP from Aotearoa since 1853. To win the seat, she overcame Nanaia Mahuta, the female MP with the longest tenure in the nation.
Her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, was a member of the Māori activist group Nga Tamatoa. As per the report by the NZ Herald, her great, great, great grandfather was New Zealand's first Māori minister in parliament.
“Hooki mai too mokopuna kia koe. My great x4 grandfather, Wiremu Katene, first Maaori Minister in Parliament. My first stop taaku kaitiaki i roto i teenei whare,” she said in a post on Instagram last year.
