Māori Politician Performs Haka, Defying Parliament Protocol

A Māori politician performed a ceremonial haka and pledged allegiance to his Indigenous ancestors inside New Zealand’s parliament on Dec 5. MP Rawiri Waititi’s actions were considered a breach of protocol, because NZ MPs are required to swear an oath to King Charles III before induction. Waititi did ultimately pledge allegiance to Charles but only after first highlighting his Māori heritage. The incident came on the same day that thousands of Māori citizens and their allies staged a mass protest in the capital city of Wellington. In October, control of NZ’s parliament switched hands from the country’s center-left Labour Party to a coalition of three right-wing parties. The new conservative government has expressed plans to ‘wind back the use of Māori language, review affirmative action policies, and assess how the country’s founding treaty document is interpreted in legislation,’ per Reuters. » Sign up for our newsletter KnowThis to get the biggest stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox: » Subscribe to NowThis: For more news, subscribe to @NowThisNews. #Haka #Indigenous #IndigenousCulture #NewZealand #Parliament #KingCharlesIII #Politics #News #NowThis Connect with NowThis » Like us on Facebook: » Tweet us on Twitter: » Follow us on Instagram: » Find us on Snapchat Discover: NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live. @nowthisnews Māori Politician Performs Haka, Defying Parliament Protocol