Youngest New Zealand MP, other Māori leaders perform war dance in Parliament over controversial bill; Here's video

New Zealand's indigenous Māori leaders staged a haka— a traditional Māori war dance— at the first Parliamentary hearing of a contentious bill which aims to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a 22-year-old lawmaker and the country's youngest MP, led the haka in Parliament and tore up a copy of the bill while other Māori members and visitors joined her in protest.

The video of Te Pāti Māori MP ripping up the document and then performing the powerful haka went viral, quickly gaining support from those in the public gallery. The haka soon spread to the opposition benches, prompting the chamber to be cleared and Maipi-Clarke to be suspended.

What's the Māori march?

A nine-day hikoi (march), making its way to New Zealand's capital, is expected to arrive by Tuesday. Around 10,000 protesters marched through Rotorua, about 450 km north of the capital, with some wearing traditional attire. They were met by crowds waving the Māori flag and chanting in support.

Thousands of people participated in the hikoi moving towards Wellington on Friday to protest against a controversial bill that seeks to reinterpret the country's 184-year-old founding document. The bill, which passed its first reading in parliament, has sparked widespread opposition, with rallies against the Treaty Principles Bill taking place across the country.

Despite the controversy, the bill passed its first reading and will now proceed to a public submission process before the next vote. Its author, David Seymour, leader of the ACT party, argues that the proposal seeks to provide clarity on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

What all of these principles have in common is that they afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders,” Seymour said.

Meanwhile, though Prime Minister Christopher Luxon opposed to the bill, he allowed his party to vote in favour of it as part of a political agreement with Seymour's ACT party - a move that sparked outrage among opposition members.

“Shame! Shame! Shame on you, David Seymour,” shouted Willie Jackson, a Māori lawmaker, before being ejected from the chamber. “Shame on you for what you're trying to do to this nation.”

What is the bill Māoris are fighting?

Signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs, the Treaty of Waitangi set out the terms of governance between the two parties. Its clauses continue to influence New Zealand's laws and policies today.

The bill, introduced last week by the ACT New Zealand party, a junior partner in the centre-right coalition government, has been criticised for undermining the Treaty’s principles. The party argues that non-Māori citizens are being disadvantaged by policies designed to promote Maori rights and governance.

Māori leaders and their supporters contend that the bill erodes Indigenous rights, with Māori making up about 20% of New Zealand's population of 5.3 million.

Although the bill passed its first reading with support from the National Party and New Zealand First, both coalition partners have said they will not back it in subsequent readings, making it unlikely to become law.

(With agency inputs)