Watch: 'A voice that matters' - Stan Walker releases powerful spoken word piece encouraging Māori to choose their electoral roll

Kiwi singer Stan Walker has delivered a stirring spoken word piece encouraging Māori to choose what electoral role they want to be on.

The video, created in collaboration with musician and performer Sheldon Rua, was released in support of Te Puni Kōkiri’s For Future’s Sake, Choose campaign , Stuff reports.

Shot in black and white, it opens with Walker calling out Māori stereotypes, saying: "Chur, I'm Stan. Hori, rugged, dumb, lazy, poor, thug, violent, aggressive, useless, black, dirty - Māori."

The performer draws back to the effects of colonisation and the responsibility to be "a good tupuna" by bearing the weight of his ancestors' sacrifice.

He then continues with more positive descriptions. 

"Kia ora, ko Stan tōku ingoa. Brown, proud, happy, fierce, fighter, survivor, intelligent, resilient, motivated, soft, staunch, loving, caring, honest, Ātaahua - Māori."

​"I have a choice because of the sacrifices made before me. They are my past, I am their present, but you are the future."

*  If you’re Māori and 18 or over, it’s time to choose whether you want to be on the Māori Roll or the General Roll. The Māori Electoral Option runs from 3 April to 2 August 2018.