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Haka in New Zealand’s Parliament
Context:
On November 14, New Zealand’s Parliament was briefly suspended after a protest by Māori legislators, who performed a traditional haka to oppose the contentious Treaty Principles Bill.
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- The protest was led by 22-year-old Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who also tore up a copy of the Bill in front of its author during the session.
- MPs from opposition parties, including the Māori Party, Green Party, and Labour Party, along with people in the public gallery, joined the haka, a ceremonial dance of immense cultural importance to the Indigenous Māori community.
What is Haka?
- The haka is a traditional Māori performance involving chanting, dramatic gestures, hand movements, and foot-stamping.
- Historically performed by warriors before battles or to welcome other tribes, the haka symbolises cultural pride, strength, and unity.
- Among the many forms of haka:
- Ka Mate: The haka performed in Parliament, composed by 19th-century Māori leader Te Rauparaha, celebrates life over death.
- Peruperu: A war haka meant to intimidate enemies.
- Ngeri: A shorter haka to uplift spirits.
- Pōwhiri: A welcoming haka used in formal ceremonies.
- Manawa Wera: A haka performed at funerals or memorials to express grief.
- The haka holds a special place in New Zealand’s national identity, famously performed by the All Blacks rugby team before matches and during public events like the 2019 Christchurch shootings tribute.
About the Māori Group
- Origins: The Māori are the Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand (Aotearoa), believed to have migrated from East Polynesia between 1320 and 1350.
- Cultural Development: Over centuries of isolation, the Māori developed a unique culture characterised by their language (te reo Māori), mythology, traditional crafts, and performing arts.
- Treaty of Waitangi: Signed in 1840 with the British Crown, the treaty established a framework for coexistence but has since been a focal point for political and economic redress.
- Population: The Māori are New Zealand’s second-largest ethnic group after European New Zealanders (Pākehā), with over 170,000 Māori residing in Australia.
