Who is Hana Rawhiti? Meet New Zealand's youngest MP whose Haka dance in parliament went viral

A 'floor shaking' Haka that briefly suspended New Zealand Parliament has gone viral following a stirring performance of the dance by the country's youngest MP.

Māori politicians opposed a controversial bill introduced by the libertarian ACT Party, will radically change how the Treaty of Waitangi is interpreted.

The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document, an agreement signed between the British Crown and around 540 Maori chiefs on February 6 1840.

As well as performing the symbolic ritual in parliament, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke also tore up a copy of the bill during a parliamentary session.

As part of wider protests that have arisen in opposition to the bill, up to 8,000 demonstrators are currently marching across New Zealand's North Island.

But who exactly is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the country's youngest MP who performed the Haka in parliament?

Read on below for everything you need to know about her.

Who is Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke? Born in September 2002, Maipi-Clarke was educated at Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga, a Native Māori school located in Huntly, Waikato.

At the age of just 17, she published a book named Maahina about – the Maori lunar calendar - which is referred to as maramataka.

After giving a speech in September 2022 on the steps of the New Zealand Parliament during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - a government-led initiative to promote the use of the Māori language across New Zealand - several political parties approached Maipi-Clarke in the hope that she would join them.

This saw her become the country's second-youngest MP aged 21 - and the youngest for 170 years - after unseating incumbent Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta by 2,911 votes during New Zealand's 2023 general election to become an MP for .

Maipi-Clarke enjoyed a meteoric rise in politics since entering the field - which saw her join Parliament's Māori affairs select committee in December 2023.

She also became Te Pāti Māori's Māori spokesperson for a number of areas including development, young people, Māori language, conservation, sports and recreation, food safety, biosecurity and customs.

In September, Maipi-Clarke's work as the country's second youngest-ever MP saw her named as one of the four recipients of the 2024 One Young World Politician of the Year Award.

The organisation awarded her the award because 'her involvement in the political realm allowed young Māori and the younger generation to have a voice within New Zealand's democracy.'

In the wake of her protest - which came in the form of the Ka Mate haka - Hana was suspended from the New Zealand House of Parliament for a day.

However, singer and songwriter Lorde, who is from New Zealand, was full of praise for the dramatic stunt.

'Utmost grace,' she posted to social media, before using an expletive to describe the Treaty Principles Bill.

According to the country's most recent census, around 18% of New Zealand's population consider themselves to be Māori.

However, many remain at a disadvantage in comparison to the general population when it comes to key societal factors such as household income, education levels, imprisonment and mortality rates.

There is also still a seven-year gap in life expectancy between Māori and non-Māori people in New Zealand.

The bill has prompted waves of protests and warnings from academics and lawyers that it will negatively impact Maori rights.

The bill is unlikely to become law, with detractors arguing that it threatens racial discord and constitutional upheaval.

Widespread opposition to the bill among civilians means thousands of protesters are due to arrive in the capital, Wellington, on Tuesday for what is likely to be one of the largest race relations marches in New Zealand's history.