A New Zealand parliamentary committee has recommended suspending three Māori Members of Parliament for performing a protest haka during a parliamentary sitting last year. The haka, a traditional Māori group dance, was initiated by opposition MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke after she was asked whether her party supported a controversial bill aimed at redefining the country’s founding treaty, the Treaty of Waitangi. The bill, which sought to alter the interpretation of this historic agreement, was overwhelmingly voted down last month.
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The committee ruled that the haka could have “intimidated” other lawmakers, recommending a one-week suspension for Maipi-Clarke and a 21-day suspension for Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
The Māori Party strongly criticised these recommendations, describing them as a “warning shot to all of us to fall in line.” In a statement released on Wednesday, the party said, “When tangata whenua resist, colonial powers reach for the maximum penalty,” using the Māori phrase for “people of the land.” They also noted that these proposed punishments are among the harshest ever recommended by New Zealand’s parliament.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who is of Māori descent, condemned the MPs’ actions, calling them “out-of-control MPs who flout the rules and intimidate others with outrageous hakas.”
The suspensions are expected to be put to a vote in parliament on Tuesday, with the ruling conservative coalition likely to support the recommendations.
What is Treaty of Waitangi? What was the controversial Treaty Principles Bill?
The Treaty of Waitangi, signed on 6 February 1840 between the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs, is New Zealand’s founding document. It established British sovereignty while guaranteeing Māori ownership of their lands, forests, and possessions, and granted Māori the rights of British subjects.
The treaty aimed to protect Māori interests amid increasing British settlement and was intended to create a framework for peaceful coexistence and governance.
The Treaty Principles Bill, introduced by the right-wing Act Party, aimed to legally redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Act Party argued that the treaty had contributed to racial division in New Zealand and sought to clarify its legal standing. However, critics warned that the bill would deepen societal divisions and undermine vital support for Māori communities.
The bill was defeated decisively, with only Act Party members voting in favour during its second reading on 10 April.
The bill sparked widespread public outrage, leading to protests involving over 40,000 people outside parliament during its first reading last November. Prior to that, thousands marched over nine days from the far north to Auckland, opposing the legislation.
During the bill’s introduction, MP Maipi-Clarke notably tore up a copy of the bill in protest.
What is Haka?
The haka is a traditional Māori dance characterised by vigorous movements, rhythmic chanting, and powerful expressions, traditionally performed to convey strength, unity, and ancestral pride. In Māori culture, it holds deep spiritual and social significance, often used to welcome guests, celebrate achievements, or prepare warriors for battle.
Beyond its ceremonial roots, the haka serves as a powerful expression of identity and resistance, embodying the collective mana (prestige) of the Māori people.
Māori in New Zealand: History and Colonial Oppression
The Māori are the Indigenous people of New Zealand, with a rich cultural heritage and deep spiritual connection to the land. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, was intended to establish a partnership between Māori tribes and the British Crown.
However, the treaty’s promises were frequently broken or ignored, leading to widespread land dispossession, marginalisation, and cultural suppression under colonial rule. For generations, Māori communities faced systemic discrimination, loss of land, and erosion of their language and traditions.
Today, efforts continue to address these historical injustices, with ongoing debates about the treaty’s role and the rights of Māori people within New Zealand’s political and social framework.
