Te Ao Māori

Celebrating Matariki as non-Māori

"You’re going to be playing some beats while I am planting the trees.”

Today marks the start of Matariki as the stars rise

Today Matariki reappeared in the dawn sky, signaling the beginning of the Māori New Year.

Why the Māori King’s daughter met with Prince Charles in London

“I’ll be honest, my greatest desire is for all Māori land to be returned to Māori.”

How to say your pepeha: Tikanga explained

“Every iwi has their own way of reciting their pepeha.”

Remembering Bastion Point occupation leader Joe Hawke

Tributes have been flowing in for the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei leader.

How Māori celebrants are indigenising weddings

“For some people it’s just wanting to pay homage or incorporate their culture.”

‘I’ll take the leftovers’: rangatahi react to eating kina

“I have eaten kina once in my whole entire life: I know, 10 brownie points taken off me as a Māori.”

Why 23-year-old TV personality D'Angelo Martin gave up alcohol

“I want to live how our ancestors did.”
“Ko te hiahia kia ora pērā i te wā e ora ai o mātou tīpuna.

How to harvest kūmara: ‘Māori can’t connect to a carrot’

“The history of the kūmara goes way back; it’s in our DNA, it’s in our whakapapa."

Finding balance and healing through whakatū rākau

Whakatū rākau focuses on defence guards and mau rākau on wielding weaponry.

‘Steal their land!’: painful truth of NZ’s history at Rangiriri

“They’ve never known the truth, they’ve always known the Pākehā version.”

Behind the waiata that led the Māori Battalion to war | Rongo Toa

'March to Victory' was written by Corporal Anania Amohau of the B Company.

An 18-year-old wahine composed this sad farewell sung to WWII soldiers | Rongo Toa

Kōhine Whakarua Ponika of Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou descent was an expert in song writing.

The lost Pacific stories of the Māori Battalion | Rongo Toa

“Many don’t realise the significant role our relatives of Te-Moananui-a-Kiwa played [in WWII]”.

This big band hit honours the first Māori Victoria Cross winner | Rongo Toa

‘E te Hokowhitu a Tū’ was written by Tuini Ngāwai for Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu

How Aue E Ihu became the Māori Battalion’s special hymn | Rongo Toa

The hymn was sung by soldiers on their departure from Palmerston North on Anzac Day 1940.

Inside a Māori Religion: The Rātana movement

"We're trying to spark up people's life force to bring them back to fullness."

Dr Moana Jackson is the reason I stayed in law school

‘Courage isn’t hard, courage is just the deep breath you take before you make a hard decision’

Celebrating Te Karere: NZ’s first Māori language news programme

Pere Wihongi reflects on the importance of Te Karere, and what it signifies for the next generation.

What to do at a pōwhiri: tikanga explained

Our Tikanga 101 explainer helps you navigate the dos and don’ts when taking part in a pōwhiri.

‘Not the one g’: rangatahi react to eating terotero (intestines)

Eating terotero or animal intestines - either you can handle it or you can’t.

This Tauranga church is giving its land back to Māori

“It’s worth asking … what could we do?"

‘Don’t put your arse where you eat’: tikanga explained

Our Tikanga 101 explainer helps you navigate the dos and don’ts when visiting someone’s whare.

NZer caught up in Australia floods: ‘everything is gone’

“Imagine the ocean turning up in your lounge one day and just sweeping everything away.”

The Tohunga Suppression Act: how Māori medicine was made illegal for 55 years

Have you heard of the Tohunga Suppression Act?

“Rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) is a traditional practice that is strongly seen in today's world but there was a…

The Tūhoe Raids: an explainer

Watch this explainer on a dark day in NZ history.

Aroha in the moana: Meet NZ’s cutest freediving couple

Freedivers Reremoana and Dion have built their love along the seabed of Tairāwhiti/Gisborne.

What Aotearoa can learn about sustainable fisheries in Iceland

“Most of the policies and resource management that we have in place for the ocean and freshwater restrict the rights of iwi. So what we need…

Learning we are not alone | Mānawa Maiea te Atawhai | Ep 10

Wāti and her sister Meadow talk about their bond growing up together in the final episode.