During a first reading of the proposal, when the speaker asked Maori lawmaker Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke how her party would vote on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, she stood up, tore up what appeared to be her copy of the legislation, and started performing a haka. This act of defiance symbolized the deep anger and fear within the Maori community regarding the reinterpretation of their foundational treaty.
The Treaty of Waitangi, signed by Maori chiefs and the British Crown in 1840, is considered New Zealand's founding document. Experts warn that this proposed bill could severely damage race relations in New Zealand, undoing decades of efforts aimed at redressing historical wrongs against the Maori by colonizers and potentially exacerbating existing tensions.
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