New Zealand’s parliamentary proceedings came to a halt when people in the public gallery broke into a haka, a traditional Maori dance, after the newest lawmaker from the Maori Party, Oriini Kaipara, finished her maiden speech on Thursday.
A few members of the New Zealand Parliament broke into an impromptu haka, reminiscent of the moment nearly a year back when a young parliamentarian, Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke performed the war dance on the House floor while tearing a copy of the controversial Indigenous Treaty Principles Bill.
Following Kaipara’s debut speech, members in the House and those in the public gallery sang a pre-approved Maori song to welcome her. However, things took an erratic turn when people in the gallery broke into an impromptu haka, without the Speaker’s prior permission. Soon, other members joined in.
This prompted Speaker Gerry Brownlee to intervene. “No, not that. The guarantee was that this would not take place,” he said.
When the members did not heed his appeal, Brownlee briefly suspended the House.
Parliament later resumed and Brownlee said he planned to investigate whether any party or members of parliament had prior knowledge of the haka, describing the public gallery’s actions as contemptuous.
In June, three members of Te Pati Maori, including Hana-Rawhiti, received historically lengthy suspensions for performing a haka to disrupt the vote on a contentious bill that would reinterpret a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori. The bill has since failed to pass into law.
The haka was traditionally a way for Maori to welcome visiting tribes or to invigorate warriors ahead of battle. It is now performed at important events as well as ahead of matches by New Zealand’s rugby teams.
Inputs from Reuters
