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New Zealand’s youngest MP’s haka in parliament goes viral

21-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke is Aotearoa’s youngest MP since 1853. She performed haka while delivering a speech in the parliament for the first time.

Published on: Jan 5, 2024, 20:22:10 IST
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A video of New Zealand’s youngest MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke from her first appearance in the parliament is going viral. It shows her performing haka, a ceremonial Maori war dance. She performed this traditional ‘war cry’ while delivering a powerful speech dedicated to all tamariki Māori.

New Zealand’s youngest MP performing haka in parliament. (Screengrab)
New Zealand’s youngest MP performing haka in parliament. (Screengrab)

The video is a part of the speech she gave last month. The now-viral video shows her performing the traditional 'haka' or 'war cry'. Many have been sharing the video on social media. Just like this X user who wrote “New Zealand natives' speech in parliament,” while posting the video.

The video was posted a few hours ago. Since then, it has gone crazy viral. Till now, the clip has accumulated more than 17.7 million views - and the numbers are still increasing. The share has further collected tons of comments from people.

What did X users say about this video of the MP?

“For some reason, I thought that this was the most honest and popular parliament,” wrote an X user. “The energy of this young lady [fire emoticons],” posted another. “I wish I knew what they were saying, but their passion is infectious!” expressed a third. “I love it! And everyone around her is completely into it with her,” wrote a fourth.

About Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke:

The 21-year-old is Aotearoa’s youngest MP since 1853, reports NZ Herald. She defeated the country’s longest-serving female MP, Nanaia Mahuta to secure the seat.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More