WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥 The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand鈥檚 M膩ori people but it鈥檚 become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races. Spine-tingling performances at sports events, funerals and graduations often go viral online, a non-partisan point of pride for the country abroad.
But one haka in New Zealand鈥檚 Parliament by three legislators last November has provoked fierce division among lawmakers about whether it was an act of peaceful dissent, or disruptive and even intimidating to their opponents.
A vote to approve from Parliament for the M膩ori party lawmakers who enacted the protest was unexpectedly suspended on Tuesday. Debate will resume in June, when it threatens to gridlock the legislative agenda until politicians from all parties reach consensus on what the punishment should be.
Hundreds of protesters against the sanctions waited outside Parliament鈥檚 front doors in New Zealand鈥檚 capital, Wellington, on Tuesday to greet the M膩ori party lawmakers with a haka when they emerged.
What is the haka?
The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, somber and ceremonial settings. It鈥檚 an expression of M膩ori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by M膩ori in the words, movements and cultural protocols.
Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand鈥檚 Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 鈥渒a mate,鈥 the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants.
Why was this one controversial?
Last November鈥檚 protest wasn鈥檛 the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to M膩ori.
But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te P膩ti M膩ori, the M膩ori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law.
When asked how the M膩ori party would vote on a bill they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-R膩whiti Maipi-Clarke 鈥 New Zealand鈥檚 youngest parliamentarian, at 22 鈥 tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues.
The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand鈥檚 founding treaty between M膩ori tribal leaders and the British crown, was and has . But for six months, a committee of the lawmakers鈥 peers have fought furiously about how 鈥 or whether 鈥 their protest of it should be punished.
Why is debate about it still going?
Usually there鈥檚 agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behavior. But this episode polarized the committee considering the lawmakers鈥 actions.
Its report recommended Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That鈥檚 the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand lawmakers; the previous record was three days.
Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee this month scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government鈥檚 behest after they allowed the M膩ori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday鈥檚 budget was delivered.
It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the M膩ori lawmakers 鈥 opponents of the government 鈥 wouldn’t miss one of Parliament鈥檚 most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where lawmakers have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building鈥檚 steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans weren鈥檛 fair.
But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 鈥渘ot about the haka.鈥 Collins said the lawmakers鈥 behavior was the most egregious she鈥檇 ever witnessed.
What happens next?
The debate will resume on June 5, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they couldn鈥檛 be swayed from disputing them.
Outside Parliament, activist Eru Kapa-Kingi told the assembled crowd that the haka was 鈥渁 source of fear鈥 in Parliament.
鈥淓ven though when the All Blacks do it it鈥檚 a good thing,鈥 he added.
