Waitangi oral history awards promote Treaty awareness

20 November 2015

Waitangi oral history awards promote Treaty awareness

Two documentaries which delve into the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its relevance in the 21st century are recipients of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Waitangi 175 Oral History Awards. “This year’s awards coincide with significant Treaty anniversaries in 2015,” says Murray Hemi Project Manager, Treaty Settlement Histories, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

“This year is the 175th anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and also marks 150 years of Māori Land court operations and 40 years since the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal,” says Murray Hemi.

There are two recipients. BWP Productions Home received an award for The Tuhoe Settlement 2013 and Purakaunui Block forMotoitoi.

The Tuhoe Settlement 2013 focuses on their agreement in 2013 and is part of a planned long-form documentary series on the process of Tuhoe revitalisation and growth.

Murray Hemi says the Ministry has produced a short You Tube video interview with the BWP Productions Home producer Jan Bieringa. The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/eqz6rRbWpSM

“The interview explores Jan Bieringa’s perspective on the production, the unique relationship she built with Tuhoe in producing the oral history and her impressions of Tuhoe country,” he says.

“The other recipient was Purakaunui Block Inc for its production Motoitoi which captures the voices of Ngai Tahu kaumatua. The interviews reflect the changing nature of the Treaty relationship in their community over the past 20 years, given their rapid shift from Treaty claims to settlement.

“Both recipients are contributing to the richness of the korero on the Treaty and provide an important historical account of the perspectives from two iwi perspectives.

“E mihi atu ana Te Manatū Taonga ki ngā tāngata katoa i tono mai ai, me te tokorua hoki nā rāua te whakawhiwhinga,” says Murray Hemi.

The Waitangi 175 Oral History Awards are funded out of the New Zealand Oral History Awards Trust Fund, administered by the Ministry.

The Awards Panel comprised Ministry representatives Neill Atkinson (Chief Historian), Murray Hemi and Alison Parr, Senior Oral Historian and external experts, Hugo Manson and Mike Hennesey (oral historians), Emeritus Professor Roger Maaka (EIT); and Nick Guy (Conservator Audio-visual Material, Alexander Turnbull Library).

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