Over the past few weeks one video clip from a New Zealand parliament session has been doing the rounds through social media where a young MP (21 year old, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke) is delivering her maiden speech. The opening minute or so of this speech is very power packed and intriguing display of what looks like chanting or shouting, but I wasn’t sure what it was or what her intention in saying it meant. Here is the video I am talking about. I read about it to find out more and here is what I found.
At the very core of M??ori culture in New Zealand is a dance that has stood the test of time and come to represent strength, solidarity, and national pride. Over the course of several centuries, the Maori Haka — a traditional ceremonial dance — has transformed into something that is equally at home on the battlefield as in international arenas.