Te Pāti Māori members singing their version of the song Twelve Days of Christmas (left to right): Tākuta Ferris, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke and Rawiri Waititi.

The popular song Twelve Days of Christmas has had another rendition, but this time from Te Pāti Māori.

The latest post on the party’s Instagram account shows five of its six MPs singing their hearts out, led by co-leader Rawiri Waititi playing his infamous guitar.

“It was all a spontaneous thing that just naturally occurred in a very beautifully Māori way. It was one morning in the middle of a busy week of maidens, petitions and rallies when our crew of MPs and kaimahi sat down to catch a breather. The guitar came out and, before you know it, we’re composing the waiata on the way the Government has conducted itself in its first month as Government,” aa Te Pāti Māori spokesperson said.

While the dulcet tones from the quintet have caught the attention and reaction of members of the public, it’s the lyrics taking a swing at the National Government getting the most reaction.

Requests for ringtones, Spotify release

A comment on the post by @lioneldamaori said, “Soooo well-written. Take a bow, e te whānau.” Another comment read, “This is the best Christmas song ever.”

Some of the party’s 120,000 followers even asked if they could make the song into a ringtone or have it released on Spotify.

“As Māori, waiata is our rongoā. It brings people together, allows us to take a breath for a moment, regroup and put everything aside while having a bit of a laugh. Politics doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. If we can create ways of conveying the message that engage whānau, then that’s a win for us all. When seeing our culture, te reo Māori and people being thrown around like a football, it can be very heavy on the mind, heart and spirit. This was our spontaneous way of regrouping and having a laugh,” said a Te Pāti Māori spokesperson.

The lyrics in the song, which are also subtitled in the video, refer to the 12 things the Government has “given” to Te Pāti Māori this Christmas.

Number one is Toitū Te Tiriti (Uphold the Treaty) - the recent movement which saw thousands rally across Aotearoa.

Oath to Harehare causes global headlines

The Oath to Harehare was also referred to in the song, at number two on the list. The word “harehare” was heard earlier this month at the opening of New Zealand’s 54th Parliament, causing global headlines and sparking debate about whether the Māori word used by three of Te Pāti Māori MPs (the co-leaders and Tākuta Ferris) to describe King Charles III was meant to be “Charles” or “skin rash”. The usual affirmation for swearing allegiance to the King in te reo Māori is “to Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru”.

“Six Māori MPs” got a mention, coming in sixth in the waiata. This refers to Te Pāti Māori claiming six electorate wins from the 2023 New Zealand general election, with Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke becoming New Zealand’s youngest MP in 170 years.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s reo lessons were also referred to. This week the PM defended spending $4150 of taxpayer money on his own te reo Māori lessons after he criticised that specific use of public funds. This month, National criticised bonuses for public servants who were proficient in the language, saying they should only apply to roles where it was relevant. Such bonuses had been provided in some organisations since the 1980s and were included in some collective agreements.

Te Ao Newsrequested for comment from the co-leaders of Te Pāti Māori, but both were unavailable today. But in response to whether there is a change on the horizon and for the Māori community, the party spokesperson said, “Absolutely there is, you’ve seen the way te iwi Māori and tangata tiriti have mobilised. Even in Melbourne yesterday, they are making themselves heard. They are loud, proud and unapologetic. Our whānau are very much against the proposals of this new Government, and they’re making sure they’re heard.”

Te Ao News reached out to the National Government for a response but it declined to respond.

Video goes viral

The video has gone viral on Instagram with over 150,000 views, plus 20,000 on TikTok and almost 10,000 on Facebook. It was only posted on Saturday afternoon.

Lyrics of Te Pāti Māori’s Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, National gave to me, Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the second day of Christmas, National gave to me, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the third day of Christmas, National gave to me, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the fourth day of Christmas, National gave to me, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the fifth day of Christmas, National gave to me, coalition of chaos, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the sixth day of Christmas, National gave to me, six Māori MPs, coalition of chaos, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the seventh day of Christmas, National gave to me, keep Kāinga Ora, six Māori MPs, coalition of chaos, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the eighth day of Christmas, National gave to me, no Waka Kōtahi, keep Kāinga Ora, six Māori MPs, coalition of chaos, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the ninth day of Christmas, National gave to me, Luxon reo lessons, no Waka Kōtahi, keep Kāinga Ora, six Māori MPs, Coalition of Chaos, four maiden speeches, no “koreraw maari”, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

On the 10th day of Christmas, National gave to me, activated te iwi Māori and tangata Tiriti, Luxon reo lessons, no Waka Kōtahi, keep Kāinga Ora, six Māori MPs, coalition of chaos, four maiden speeches, no koreraw maari, Oath to Harehare, and Toitū Te Tiriti.

Note: Te Pāti Māori has fallen two days short of the “twelve things/days” in this rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Meri Kirihimete!