New Zealand's Youngest MP Hana-Rawhitiroa Clarke Makes Waves with Viral Speech
A small town, Huntly, nestled between Auckland and Hamilton, is home to a remarkable 21-year-old, Hana-Rawhitiroa Clarke, who runs a Maori community garden.
A video of a powerful speech by a Member of Parliament in New Zealand has gone viral. Hana-Rawhitiroa Clarke, at just 21, is the youngest MP in New Zealand in 170 years. Last October, she was elected to Parliament after defeating the country's most senior and respected MPs, including Nanaia Mahuta, who had represented the Hauraki-Waikato seat since 2008. A Maori, Clarke is fighting for the rights of the indigenous community. Her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, is a member of the Nga Tamatoa activist group.
In a significant speech last month, Clarke performed a traditional 'haka' or war dance and made a promise to her constituents. According to the New Zealand Herald, she said, "I may die for you... but I will live for you."
"For the Tamāriki Māori who have been waiting their whole lives, whakamā, patiently sitting behind their desks, waiting to learn their reo, Tamāriki who have not yet ventured into their papakainga, it is with an open heart that your weapon is waiting," she continued.
The girl's 21 years old and lives in Huntly, a little city between Auckland and Hamilton. There, she manages a Maori community garden where she instructs children in growing according to the moon cycle.She believes that the next generation has to be heard, and she sees herself more as a Maori language defender than a politician, according to The Guardian.
She stated in her speech, "Before coming to Parliament, I was given some advice not to take anything personally... Okay, I can do nothing but take everything said in this house personally."
"Within a short span, this administration has assailed every aspect of my existence—health, taiao (environment), wai (water), whenua (land), natural resources, Maori wards, reo (language), Tamāriki, and Ti Tiriti o Waitangi—threatening not just my rights but yours too, to inhabit this nation," declared Clarke..
The MP concluded her speech by saying, "For everyone watching from home... this is not my moment, it is yours."
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