The protest edition

Kia ora e te whānau,

Nau mai, hoki mai ki Te Arawhata—the protest edition!

Eek! We know. Big, loaded kaupapa. That’s why we’re a day late. Good things take more time than I anticipated 😅.

This week’s picks include a video of unbelievable yarns gathered over fifty years of protest photography, the waiata everyone on every side of every tāepa/fence should understand, a pukapuka/book featuring a mushroom cloud dress, and more.

PLUS, we’ve highlighted language and subtitle info in our notes to help reo Māori learners to find the best practise opportunities quickly.

Wherever you sit on the political spectrum, we promise you’ll find something you love in here e hoa mā, but let’s prep with a cuppa and a catch up first. Kua tae mai te wā/The time has come for ‘talk of the tāone’.

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Talk of the tāone

Your weekly round up of the arts, media, and events everybody’s talking about

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- ’Ko Au te Awa, ko te Awa ko Au’, a doco on the Whanganui River opens at Doc Edge film fest this month (with an epic soundtrack).

- A 100-strong delegation is representing Aotearoa at the world’s largest Pacific festival, including these kapa haka CHAMPS 😉.

- Congrats to the ‘Book Awards for Children and Young Adults’ finalists including Tangaroa Paul with ‘Rere Atu Taku Poi!: Let My Poi Fly!’

- Our favorite award-winning journalist and presenter is joining RNZ's Saturday Morning programme as co-host.

- Our mate, Amelia Butler of ‘Learn Māori Abroad’, dropped a new TEDx talk; ‘How to introduce yourself—the Māori way’.

- The ehoa app is launching its research phase and inviting peeps willing to share their energy levels, emotions, and menstrual cycle to take part.

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Picks o te wiki

Our top 4 protest inspired recommendations from the world of Māori arts, media, and events.

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#1 ‘John Miller’, a ‘Pathfinder’ episode about the renowned Māori protest photographer‍‍

John Miller’s story has something for everyone. We’re talking extremely relevant history lessons, pono/honest and touching tales of a reconnection haerenga/journey, sometimes hilarious, sometimes terrifying behind the scenes protest yarns (feat Tame Iti, accusations of being an undercover cop and general hōhā/nuisance), a master class in photography, and the coolest kutarere/scooter rides down Karangahape Road you ever did see.

_{Find it: on youtube I Time: 30 mins I Cost: free I Credits: produced by Scottie Productions I Reo: te reo Pākehā & te reo Māori with te reo Pākehā subtitles (great for learners)}

#2: ‘Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance’, a book on the history of protest and activism in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The title suggests this book is full of important historical info and he pono tērā/that’s true, but it doesn’t quite give away just how interesting the reading journey will be… Almost like a museum walkthrough, objects and imagery—including tickets to THAT Springbok game, a nuclear explosion dress, and Bastion Point badges—are used to demonstrate stories much more effectively than words ever could.ccording to Māori tūpuna/ancestors.

_{Find it: on the Te Papa website I Time: 416 pages worth I Cost: $70 I Credits: by Stephanie Gibson, Matariki Williams, and Puawai Cairns. Te Papa was the publisher and offer a sweet preview here I Reo: te reo Pākehā}

#3: ‘Ngā Iwi E’, a waiata performed by Creative Natives

This waiata has been an anthem for kotahitanga/unity, ever since Hirini Melbourne penned it for the 1984 Festival of Pacific Arts in New Caledonia (ironically cancelled due to political instability). A popular pick for kaupapa Māori events up and down the country, it’s a goody to have in your back pūkoro/pocket AND an absolute jam.

_{Find it: on Youtube I Time: 3mins 30secs I Cost: free I Credits: performed by Creative Natives, originally written by Hirini Melbourne I Reo: te reo Māori, there’s also a handy lyrics video with te reo Pākehā subtitles for learners.}

#4 Artworks of protest by famous Māori artist, Robyn Kahukiwa

Robyn Kahukiwa has been protesting both for and within Māori culture through her artwork since the early seventies. From pushing for increased recognition of mana wāhine with ‘Hinetītama’, to highlighting the negative impacts of tāmitanga/colonisation and nohonoho tāone/urbanisation with ‘Girl in bush shirt’, she’s constantly been on the pulse. It’s no different i te wā nei/today.

_{Find them: her show ‘Tuawahine’ is currently showing at Seasons gallery, with tasters on their instagram and facebook pages I Time: however long you want I Cost: free I Credits: artworks by Robyn Kahukiwa}

Events i ngā rohe

Inspired tangents, whakaaro/thoughts, experiments, and interviews to explore our kaupapa more deeply.

Are protests useless?

Our social feeds are filled with unrest. From the Free Palestine movement to national activations, climate change to doctor and train staff strikes, fast tracks to stadium haka to Karangahape Road rainbow crossing paint-overs—anyone else feeling slightly overwhelmed?

Images from John Miller’s instagram account show more of the same. There are anti-war protestors from the seventies, ‘Free Mandela’ signs, Ngā Tamatoa’s Māori language petition, goats at the gay rights movement, the Springbok tour of 81, multiple Waitangi Days, and even the Toitū te Tiriti march I attended a couple weeks back.

I asked my māmā whether she had been to any protests in the past, “Oh yeah, all the Boks ones. At uni we were at something practically every weekend.”

‘Iiiiiinteresting,’ I thought as she went on to finish her cryptic crossword.

It’s a funny feeling to know that both Mum and I could be in the background of Miller’s photos. I wonder who else was there too. Dad? Uncles? Aunties? Will our children be photographed marching too one day? Theirs?

And for a moment, to be totally honest, it all seems a bit hopeless.

But then I see some other details; a hongi between te reo Māori protest leader Hana Te Hemara  and a government rep on the steps of parliament, the figure of Dame Whina Cooper leading her people, and Remuera housewives marching alongside kura kids. 

I notice the absence of batons, the nods from police as the videos turn to colour. I think of my nana making it to the shores of Aotearoa after a cruel war, my gay brother walking much more freely than his teenage years, my own growing knowledge/mōhiotanga of my Māori whakapapa, language, and culture. I think of countries too where the lack of protest is certainly not a tohu/sign of peace.

This is not a gratitude wash. No matter which side of the taēpa/fence you sit on, there is a lot wrong in Aotearoa and more in the world. We each have our viewpoints. For me it’s one thing, for you it may be another, for this commenter on our recent ads, it’s us 😅.

But there is light there too e te whānau. Ka mua, ka muri/Look back to move forward. We have a playbook—books, waiata, speeches, paeāhua/instagram accounts—records of learning, like the ones we’ve featured today.

And call me an idealist, but I choose to hold hope that we can continue to use them as a guide, and to show up with as much respect for each other and the process as possible.

Ka whawhai tonu mātou. Ake, ake, ake.

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Missing our normal events section? Kāua e awangawanga/don’t worry, it’s coming back in a new and improved format very soon.

That’s us e te whānau. Whether you’re a lefty, a righty, or straight down the centre, we hope this newsletter helped you to learn from, connect with, and just ruddy well enjoy te ao Māori today.

Hei ā tērā wiki!