Tāme Wairere Iti (born 1952) is a New Zealand

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

activist, artist, actor and social worker. Of

Ngāi Tūhoe Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning "steep" or "high noon". Tūhoe people also bear the sobriquet ...

descent, Iti rose to prominence as a member of the protest group Ngā Tamatoa in 1970s

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, becoming a key figure of the

Māori protest movement The Māori protest movement is a broad indigenous-rights movement in New Zealand (). While there were a range of conflicts between Māori and European immigrants prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the signing provided a le ...

and the

Māori renaissance The Māori renaissance is the revival in fortunes of the Māori of New Zealand beginning in the 1970s. Until 1914, and possibly later, the perception of the Māori race, although dying out, was capable and worthy of saving, but only within a Europ ...

. Since then, he has become a renowned activist for the rights of Māori and the process of co-governance and

decolonisation Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...

. A native speaker of Te Reo Māori, Iti grew up at

Ruatoki Ruatoki or Rūātoki is a district in the eastern Bay of Plenty of New Zealand, just south of the small town of Tāneatua and approximately 20 km south of the city of Whakatāne. The Whakatāne River runs northwards through the Ruatoki Valle ...

Te Urewera Te Urewera is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand, a large part of which is within a protected area designated in 2014, that was formerly Te Urewera National Park. Te Urewera is t ...

, where he was barred from speaking Māori in school due to the government's anti-Māori language policy of the time. In the 1960s and 1970s Iti was involved in protests against the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

in South Africa, and in many Māori protest actions as a member of Ngā Tamatoa. He is also known for his stalwart support of Tūhoe culture and tribal identity. Iti has stood unsuccessfully for the New Zealand Parliament on four occasions. Iti is known for his provocative style of protest and multidisciplinary art, which occasionally has courted controversy, and his distinctive dress. He often wears tailored shirts or coats, as well as top and bowler hats. In recent years, Iti has become more widely known for his art, which often carries a political message supporting Māori or Tūhoe rights; in 2022 he received a Laureate Award from the

Arts Foundation of New Zealand 'The Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi is a New Zealand arts organisation that supports artistic excellence and facilitates private philanthropy through raising funds for the arts and allocating it to New Zealand artists. The concept ...

for his works. He also co-produced and starred in the film '' Muru'', inspired by the events of the 2007 police raids and by the Crown's historic treatment of Tūhoe. In 2022 he presented an art exhibition ''I Will Not Speak Māori'' as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 1972 Māori language petition. For his extensive activism in support of

tino rangatiratanga ' is a Māori language term that translates literally to 'highest chieftainship' or 'unqualified chieftainship', but is also translated as "self-determination", "sovereignty" and "absolute sovereignty". The very translation of is important to ...

, indigenous rights and the Māori language, Iti has been described by

Wellington City Council Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...

as a

national treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...

Early life, family and career

Iti was born in 1952. He descends from the

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

, but also has links with the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

iwi of Ngāti Wairere and

Ngāti Hauā Ngāti Hauā is a Māori people, Māori iwi of the eastern Waikato of New Zealand. It is part of the Tainui confederation. Its traditional area includes Matamata, Cambridge, New Zealand, Cambridge, Maungakawa, the Horotiu district along the Wai ...

, and with

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...

, Iti was raised by his great-granduncle and aunt, Hukarere and Te Peku Purewa, in the custom known as '' whāngai'' (adoption within the same family) on a farm at

in the

Urewera Te Urewera is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand, a large part of which is within a protected area designated in 2014, that was formerly Te Urewera National Park. Te Urewera is t ...

area. The couple had also raised his father, and Iti calls them his grandparents. He says that at the age of 10 his school headmaster (himself Māori) forbade pupils to speak the

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

at school. On leaving school, he took up an apprenticeship in painting and decorating after completing a year-long Māori trade training scheme in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

. During his time in Christchurch he was a local wrestling champion and had the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the

1974 Commonwealth Games The 1974 British Commonwealth Games ( mi, 1974 Taumāhekeheke Commonwealth) were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The Games were off ...

, but did not take it due to his growing interest in activism. In the mid-1980s Iti worked in addiction services supporting young Māori in Ruatoki. He worked as a radio DJ in the 1990s. He was a partner in a restaurant on Auckland's

Karangahape Road Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) is one of the main streets in the central business district (CBD) of Auckland, New Zealand. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area – and subsequent flight of resident ...

that served traditional Māori food. The alcohol-free restaurant, which incorporated an art gallery, opened in 1999 but closed within a year. Iti was employed by Tūhoe Hauora, a health service, for several years in the 2000s as a social worker dealing with drug and alcohol problems. He has three children; two sons with his first wife, Ann Fletcher, who he was married to for six years in the 1970s, and a son through ''whāngai'' adoption. He has been with his long-term partner, Maria Steens, since 1997.

Activism and political work

As the Māori nationalist movement grew in New Zealand in the late 1960s and 1970s, Iti became involved. He protested against the

and

in South Africa, and was involved with Ngā Tamatoa, a Māori protest group of the 1970s, from its early days. He first featured in news reports in 1972, when he put up his father's tent on the New Zealand Parliament grounds and called it the "Māori Embassy", as part of a Ngā Tamatoa protest about Māori land alienation. He joined the

Communist Party of New Zealand The Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) was a communist party in New Zealand which existed from 1921 to 1994. Although spurred to life by events in Soviet Russia in the aftermath of World War I, the party had roots in pre-existing revolutiona ...

, and went to China in 1973 during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. He has taken part in a number of land

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

s and was part of the

Māori land march The Māori land march of 1975 was a protest led by the group , created by Dame Whina Cooper. The hīkoi (march) started in Northland on 14 September, travelled the length of the North Island, and arrived at the parliament building in Welling ...

to the New Zealand Parliament in 1975. Iti's activism has often intertwined with his artistic career; Iti sees his activism as a form of art. In the mid-1990s, Iti set up a collaborative gallery called the Tūhoe Embassy, where artwork was sold to fundraise for Tūhoe self-determination. His ability to court controversy has made him a frequent feature in New Zealand news media. He has a full facial

moko In the mythology of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, Moko is a wily character and grandfather of the heroic Ngaru. Moko is a ruler or king of the lizards, and he orders his lizard subjects to climb into the basket of the sky demon Amai-te-rangi Acco ...

, and an article for ''Stuff'' describes him as having "one of the most recognisable faces in Aotearoa". He is also known for wearing

top A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few ...

and bowler hats, and for performing

whakapohane Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, and also potentially exposing the genitals. Mooning is used in the English-speaking ...

(baring his buttocks) at protests. In 2016, he said: "Over time, I had to get smart about how to exercise my political consciousness, and I discovered that art is probably the safest way I'm able to do that." Iti stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a candidate of

Mana Māori According to Melanesian and Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe. Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being ...

in the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

and

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

New Zealand general elections, and for the Māori Party in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

. In 2015 Iti gave a talk for

TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

Auckland about his years of activism. In 2019 he was activist-in-residence for a week at

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

, as part of which he held a public talk and a workshop, and released a paper on decolonialisation. In 2021 and 2022 he spoke out in support of the

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...

, and criticised participants of the early 2022 Wellington protest.

2005 firearms charge

On 16 January 2005 during a

pōwhiri A pōwhiri (called a pōhiri in eastern dialects, and pronounced in the Taranaki-Whanganui area) is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, cultural performance, singing and finally the '' hongi''. It is used to both welcome guests onto ...

(greeting ceremony) that formed part of a

Waitangi Tribunal The Waitangi Tribunal (Māori: ''Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. It is charged with investigating and making recommendations on cla ...

hearing, Iti fired a shotgun into a flag (reportedly an

Australian flag The flag of Australia, also known as the Australian Blue Ensign, is based on the British Blue Ensign—a blue field with the Union Jack in the upper hoist quarter—augmented with a large white seven-pointed star (the Commonwealth Star) and a r ...

, which he used as a substitute for the New Zealand flag) in close proximity to a large number of people. Iti explained this act as reference to the 1860s

East Cape War The East Cape War, sometimes also called the East Coast War, was a series of conflicts fought in the North Island of New Zealand from April 1865 to October 1866 between colonial and Māori military forces. At least five separate campaigns were ...

: "We wanted them to feel the heat and smoke, and Tūhoe outrage and disgust at the way we have been treated for 200 years.". The incident was filmed by television crews but initially ignored by police. The matter was raised in Parliament, with an opposition member of Parliament asking "why Tāme Iti can brandish a firearm and gloat about how he got away with threatening judges on the Waitangi Tribunal, without immediate arrest and prosecution". The police subsequently charged Iti with unlawfully possessing and firing a shotgun in a public place. The trial occurred in June 2006, and Iti elected to give evidence in Māori (his first language). He said that he was following the Tūhoe custom of making noise with

tōtara ''Podocarpus totara'' (; from the Maori-language ; the spelling "totara" is also common in English) is a species of podocarp tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows throughout the North Island and northeastern South Island in lowland, montane and ...

poles. Tūhoe

kaumātua A kaumātua is a respected tribal elder of either sex in a Māori community who has been involved with their whānau for a number of years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both ...

said that the tribe had disciplined Iti and had clarified that guns were not to be fired in anger on the marae, but that they could be fired in honour of ancestors and those who fought in war (in a manner culturally equivalent to the firing of a gun salute on ceremonial occasions in Western culture). Judge Chris McGuire said: "It was designed to intimidate unnecessarily and shock. It was a stunt, it was unlawful." Iti was convicted on both charges and fined for the offences. Iti attempted to sell the flag he shot on the

TradeMe Trade Me is New Zealand's largest online auction and classifieds website. Managed by Trade Me Ltd., the site was founded in 1999 by New Zealand entrepreneur Sam Morgan (entrepreneur), Sam Morgan, who sold it to John Fairfax Holdings, Fairfax in ...

auction site to pay the fine and his legal costs, but the sale was withdrawn by TradeMe following complaints. It was later put up for sale again by politics blog ''Tumeke''. Iti lodged an appeal in which his lawyer,

Annette Sykes Annette Te Imaima Sykes (born c.1961) is a Rotorua activist and lawyer who advocates for the rights of Māori tribes to be self-governing. She was ranked third on the joint Internet Mana list for the 2014 New Zealand general election. Biograp ...

, argued that Crown law did not stretch to the ceremonial area in front of a marae's wharenui. On 4 April 2007, the

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

overturned his convictions for unlawfully possessing a firearm. While recognising that events occurred in "a unique setting", the court did not agree with Sykes' submission about Crown law. However Justices Hammond, O'Regan and Wilson found that his prosecutors failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Iti's actions caused "requisite harm" under section 51 of the Arms Act. The Court of Appeal described Iti's protest as "a foolhardy enterprise" and warned him not to attempt anything similar again.

2007 police raids

Iti was one of 17 people arrested by police on 15 October 2007 in a series of raids under the

Terrorism Suppression Act Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and the

Firearms Act Firearms Act is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom. This list includes not only Firearms Acts as such, but legislation of different names governing firearms and also other weapons. List ...

, carried out in

and around New Zealand. He was in

Whakatāne Whakatāne ( , ) is the seat of the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. Whakatāne District is the encompassing territorial authority, whi ...

with his partner at the time of the raids. In September 2011 most of the alleged terrorists originally arrested with Iti had all terrorism and firearms charges dropped. Iti and three others were charged with belonging to a criminal group. The trial was held in February and March 2012, and Iti was found guilty on six firearms charges. On the most substantial charge of belonging to a criminal group, the jury could not reach a verdict, even when invited by the judge to reach a majority verdict of ten to one. The Crown decided not to proceed with a second trial. Justice Rodney Hansen sentenced Iti to a two-and-a-half-year prison term on 24 May 2012. In October 2012 Iti and the three other defendants lost an appeal to the Court of Appeal against their sentences. Iti's son Wairere Iti said his father was "not overly surprised" by the outcome. Iti's application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed. He was granted parole in February 2013, having served nine months of his sentence, and released from prison on the morning of 27 February 2013. Prison staff described him as a "role model prisoner". Iti said he enjoyed his time inside, working as a mechanic and working on his art and writing.

Art

Performance and installation

Iti performed a lead role in the ''Tempest'' dance theatre production by MAU, a New Zealand contemporary dance company, directed by Samoan choreographer

Lemi Ponifasio Salā Lemi Ponifasio (born in Lano Samoa), is globally renowned for his progressive application to theatre, politicking, and engagement with indigenous, Māori and Pacific peoples. He was the Arts Foundation Laureate in 2011, and was the recipi ...

. The ''Tempest'' premiered in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in June 2007. ''Tempest II'' was performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall,

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...

, London in June 2008. Because of Iti's arrest as part of the 2007 raids, Ponifasio had to convince the New Zealand High Court to relax his bail conditions and allow him to travel on the 2008 tour. Affidavits in support of MAU from international arts organisations were submitted as evidence to the High Court. Iti was permitted to travel for the tour. ''Tempest: Without a Body'' made its New Zealand premiere at the

Auckland Festival Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new wor ...

in March 2009. Iti is also a painter, sculptor carver, and has said of his involvement in art: "As a late starter, I had no idea that art would be such an intricate part of where I am and it's been quite a journey." He uses mainly acrylic or oil paint, and his paintings often feature large groups of people or silhouettes. He has exhibited at galleries in Auckland, Christchurch and Ōtaki. In September 2022, Iti received an

Laureate Award for excellence in multidisciplinary art (the Burr/Tatham Trust Award). The same month, he presented an art installation called ''I Will Not Speak Māori'' as part of Te Hui Ahurei Reo Māori, a festival commemorating 50 years since the 1972 Māori language petition was presented to Parliament by Ngā Tamatoa and other groups (which led to the establishment of

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori ( en, Māori Language Week) is a government-sponsored initiative intended to encourage New Zealanders to promote the use of the Māori language which is an official language of the country. Māori Language Week is part of a broader movement to ...

). The title comes from Iti's childhood experiences of being forbidden to speak Māori at school. The installation involves various aspects including steel sculptures, a livestreamed pōhiri performance by Iti, projection of Iti writing "I will not speak Māori", with the "not" crossed out, on the walls of

Te Papa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...

, a painting installation with the same words on the Wellington waterfront, and a nationwide poster campaign. When the painting installation was first installed, a member of the public cut out the "not" from the phrase; Iti said in response, "I want to meet that person, I want to shake their hand, because that's all part of the art ... that's what art is about, and I love that." The

describes him as "a national treasure and an icon of Māoridom... his work spans half a century, and has seen him become a household name." On 20 September 2022, Iti corrected his own name using orange paint on an 2008 painting by Dean Proudfoot displayed at the QT Hotel in Wellington. Proudfoot had misspelled Iti's name as Tama.

Chris Parkin Christopher Wilton Parkin (born 1948) is a New Zealand businessman, art collector and philanthropist. Early life Parkin was born in Doncaster, England in 1948 and emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 1952. He grew up in Waikanae and ...

, owner of the artwork, described Iti's actions as "vandalism". Proudfoot apologised for the error and said Iti's correction had "given the work a new life with a far more powerful meaning".

Film and television

In 2008, Iti featured with his son Toikairakau (Toi) Iti in the New Zealand documentary ''Children of the Revolution'' (2008) which screened on

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

in April of the same year. ''Children of the Revolution'' is about the children of political activists in New Zealand and also featured anti-apartheid leader

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

and his teenage son;

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

member of Parliament

Sue Bradford Sue Bradford (born 1 July 1952 in Auckland) is a New Zealand activist, academic, and former New Zealand politician who served as a list Member of Parliament representing the Green Party from 1999 to 2009. Bradford is an eco-socialist. In 2019, s ...

and her journalist daughter Katie Azania Bradford;

Māori Party Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

member of Parliament

Hone Harawira Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira is a New Zealand Māori activist and former parliamentarian. He was elected to parliament as the member for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in 2005 as the Māori Party candidate. In 2011, following ...

and his wife Hilda Harawira with their daughter Te Whenua Harawira (organiser of the 2004 Seabed and Foreshore Land March) and musician and former political prisoner

Tigilau Ness Tigilau Ness (born c. 1954) is a Niuean New Zealand activist and reggae artist, and performs as Unity Pacific. Ness is a political activist and first generation Pacific Island New Zealander. Lifetime achievement award In May 2009, Ness was presen ...

with his son, hip hop artist

Che Fu Che Kuo Eruera Ness (born 1974), better known by his stage name Che Fu, is a New Zealand hip hop, R&B and reggae artist, songwriter and producer. A founding member of the band Supergroove, as a solo artist he has gone on to sell thousands of ...

. The documentary was directed by Makerita Urale and produced by

Claudette Hauiti Claudette Hauiti (born 8 May 1961) is a New Zealand journalist, broadcaster and political commentator. She was the producer of the award winning programme ''Children of the Revolution.'' Hauiti was a New Zealand politician and member of the Hous ...

and Māori production company Front of the Box Productions. The documentary won Best Māori language Programme at the New Zealand

Qantas Television Awards New Zealand film and television awards have gone by many different names and have been organised by different industry groups. As of 2017, New Zealand has relaunched a standalone New Zealand Television Awards after a five-year hiatus. The film awar ...

(now called Qantas Film & Television Awards) in 2008. Iti worked together with the

community and director

Tearepa Kahi Tearepa Kahi (born 16 March 1994), also known as Te Arepa Kahi, is a New Zealand film director and former actor of Ngāti Paoa and Waikato Tainui descent. Kahi is best known for the 2013 drama '' Mt. Zion'' starring Stan Walker, and the Pātea M ...

to create the feature film '' Muru'' (2022), an action-drama film inspired by the Tūhoe raids. Iti co-produced the film and starred as himself. Iti has said the movie features events from the raids as well as by the Crown's overall history with Tūhoe; it is an artistic response to what Iti describes as "200 years of police oppression towards the Māori people", rather than a direct adaptation of the raids. In September 2023 Iti was announced as one of the 18 cast members of '' Celebrity Treasure Island 2023''.

References

External links

Tame Iti
at Whenua Fenua Enua Vanua, 26 June 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Iti, Tāme 1952 births Living people People from the Bay of Plenty Region Māori activists New Zealand communists Ngāi Tūhoe people Mana Māori Movement politicians New Zealand left-wing activists Te Pāti Māori politicians 20th-century New Zealand politicians 21st-century New Zealand politicians Unsuccessful candidates in the 1996 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1999 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 2002 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 2014 New Zealand general election 20th-century New Zealand male artists 21st-century New Zealand male artists 20th-century New Zealand painters 21st-century New Zealand painters New Zealand Māori artists People from Ruatoki New Zealand installation artists