Dun Mihaka

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Dun Mihaka is a Māori activist, author, and political candidate.

Mihaka has been involved in a number of campaigns regarding Māori rights, and was involved in the Bastion Point land dispute; as well, he is directly responsible for the Maori language being an official language of New Zealand.[1] He has written two books on Māori issues. He is most known, however, for performing an act of whakapohane (baring his buttocks, a traditional Māori insult) to Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1983.[2] Some sources claim this was actually directed at the Queen herself,[3] however, this is likely confused with a later incident in 1986 in which Mihaka was arrested for driving a van with an image of whakapohane in the vicinity of a royal motorcade[4]; on that occasion, he was charged with dangerous driving.

Mihaka has stood twice as a political candidate for the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate, once in 1999 and again in 2004. His campaigns failed both times, as he was unable to get more than 2.5% of the total vote.

Contents

[edit] Maori language

[edit] Political Activism

[edit] Anti-Royalist views

[edit] New Zealand electorate campaigns

He stood as an independent candidate for the Te Tai Hauauru parliamentary seat in the 1999 election, winning 1.03% of the vote. In 2004, he stood in the Te Tai Hauauru by-election, challenging the incumbent Tariana Turia. Mihaka stood as the candidate for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, the only party other than Turia's Māori Party to contest the by-election. Mihaka claimed that the drugs issue was of greater importance to Māori than the foreshore and seabed controversy, which Turia largely focused on. In the by-election, Mihaka placed a distant second, winning 2.52% of the vote compared to Turia's 92.74%. He did, however, place above the four independent candidates.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Waitangi Tribunal claim (10 July 2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
  2. ^ A place still for a professional stirrer. Retrieved on April 28 2008.
  3. ^ My Commonwealth (July 19, 2002). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
  4. ^ New Zealand Police Stop Royal Convoy Protester (February 28, 1986). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.