Tuesday, November 26, 2024 – The haka heard round the world

Native America Calling

When Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke (Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Awa, and Ngāi Tahu) performed a haka on the floor of New Zealand’s Parliament, she brought global awareness of the constant colonial pressure to dismantle established rights for Indigenous people. In the viral video, she dramatically tears apart a proposed bill that would weaken Māori political standing established in a nearly 200 year-old treaty between the Crown and 500 Māori chiefs. She was suspended ... for a bill that may never become law. The fight in New Zealand exemplifies a resurgence in efforts to backtrack on the gains in recognition and respect for established Indigenous rights. Plus, we'll get Indigenous perspectives on the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 in Azerbaijan that just wrapped up. There is growing concern and dissatisfaction that the concerns of Indigenous people about their vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change are going unheard.