Keiha Nicol | Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Uri o Hau, Ngā Puhi
"Ka Whawhai Tonu"
These words rang out across the quiet battlefield at the apex of the famous battle of Ōrākau, the last stand of the Waikato Wars… These famous words, belonging to the renowned Chief Rewi Maniapoto, were at the heart of this film, which brilliantly brought us back to that terrible moment in time.
1864, the final year of the Waikato invasion by the Colonial Government and British Crown, saw the unjust persecution of those iwi aligned with the Kīngitanga within the Waikato District. Following several battles, the remaining Waikato Kingites were joined by Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Raukawa fighters set on making a defiant stand against a Colonial force more than four times their size. Their stand at Ōrākau is known famously today as Rewi’s last stand. This is the context for a movie directed by Māori, in Te Reo Māori, as a reminder of the history of Māori.
From the start, I was blown away by the reo, the kākahu and the abundance of mataora on screen. The reo, the people and the setting drew me into the trenches at Ōrākau, where most of the film was based. These things set the scene for the battles and the increasing tenseness in Ōrākau as they ran out of ammunition and water. Everything in this story showed the depth and diversity of the people fighting for their tino rangatiratanga and whenua.
Not only did the movie tell the story of Ōrākau, but it added to it to make us feel in the moment. The tamariki were at the centre of this movie, and were involved with everything—from the preparation of cartridges and karakia, to the actual fighting itself. They were relatable, having interactions with rangatira wahine Turama and Rewi that reminded me of tamariki with their aunties and kaumātua, and they had complicated relationships with their whānau. But of all the relationships in this movie, it was their friendships that shone the brightest, bringing hope and a wholesome touch to the film. Having tamariki as the main characters for me changed the focus from the fight to the people, and these two kept getting more interesting as the movie went on (no spoilers)! Most of all, these two and their friends represented the next generations that continue to fight and resist for what is right.
For me, this film was not only a reminder of the sad history of this time and place but also a reminder of the struggle to fight for our tino rangatiratanga, our mana motuhake and our Māoritanga. The fight by those who fought and died at Ōrākau showed both the defiance of our tipuna and the aroha they had for each other. Not only were they fighting an impossible battle, but the main characters also fought to do it the right way. Those same issues are still relevant, but the tools for colonisation have changed from muskets and swords to pen and policy. We continue to face policies that strip away our reo and our tino rangatiratanga and degrade our whenua and awa. The intent behind these policies is disguised by politeness and politics, but like our tipuna we are adaptable and determined. We only have to look back to our tipuna for answers such as the tono laid down by Rewi at Ōrākau:
“Ka whawhai tonu mātou, Āke!, Āke! Āke!”
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