Maori Haka halts New Zealand Parliament amid clash over treaty reinterpretation

New Zealand’s Parliament came to a sudden halt on Thursday, November 14, as Māori members erupted into a powerful haka, halting proceedings over a contentious bill. The legislation, introduced last week by the ACT New Zealand party—a junior partner in the center-right coalition government—seeks to redefine the principles of the 184-year-old Treaty of Waitangi between the British and Indigenous Māori. The haka, rooted in tradition, served as a striking reminder of the deep significance of the treaty and the tension surrounding its proposed reinterpretation.