New Zealand's youngest MP performs native 'war cry' in Parliament, video goes viral

NEW DELHI: Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the youngest female Member of Parliament in New Zealand at 21, represented and celebrated the indiginous people in her first speech by performing the traditional 'haka' or 'war cry.' The video soon went viral.

In a unique celebration of the native people of New Zealand, the country's youngest MP in 170 years, performed their traditional 'war cry' within the parliamentary setting. In her passionate address delivered last month, Maipi-Clarke pledged to her electorate, stating, 'I will die for you... but I will also live for you,' as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

She addressed Maori children who have longed to learn their native tongue and urged them to embrace the uniqueness.


Elected in October, she unseated the respected incumbent Nanaia Mahuta, known for representing the Hauraki-Waikato seat since 2008. Maipi-Clarke, a Maori, focuses on advocating for the rights of New Zealand's indigenous communities, drawing inspiration from her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, a member of the Maori activist group Nga Tamatoa.

Originally from Huntly, a small town between Auckland and Hamilton, Maipi-Clarke manages a Maori community garden that educates children about gardening based on the community's lunar calendar. While she doesn't see herself as a traditional politician, she considers herself a guardian of the Maori language and believes the voices of the new generation of Maori need to be heard.