Documentary highlights resilience and artistic legacy of Waerenga-a-Hika descendants

A new documentary has shed light on the 1865 battle of Waerenga-a-Hika, celebrating a legacy of resilience for the people of Tūranga. Released on 20 July 2026 as the sixth chapter of the acclaimed NZ Wars Collection, the project by journalists Mihingarangi Forbes and Annabelle Lee-Mather explores how the region’s identity survived one of the bloodiest chapters of the New Zealand Wars. The battle, which lasted six days, resulted in significant loss of life, imprisonment without trial, and the eventual loss of vast tracts of Māori land. However, the documentary focuses on the survival of the Tūranga people’s spirit. Forbes noted that while the conflict devastated lives and language, the "gifts remained," with the region continuing to produce world-renowned carvers, kapa haka performers, writers, and artists. She observed that descendant communities are now realising how this artistic and cultural legacy has successfully continued through generations. A significant voice in the documentary is 18-year-old Nikki Pewhairangi, a first-language te reo speaker. Tasked by her iwi to preserve the history of Waerenga-a-Hika, Pewhairangi shares accounts of ancestors who were exiled to Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands). Forbes described the powerful moment of witnessing a young person reconnect with ancient mōteatea (chants) to process and carry forward the history of her people. Producer Annabelle Lee-Mather, who noted she did not learn about these local conflicts during her own schooling, supports recent shifts to include the New Zealand Wars in the national curriculum. The documentary’s premiere in Gisborne reportedly moved many whānau, kuia, and kaumātua to tears as they reflected on both the trauma of the past and the strength of their contemporary culture. The RNZ production highlights that while land was lost, the cultural sovereign identity of the Tūranga iwi remains a vibrant force today.