Rongowhakaata

Articles, video, and more about Gisborne iwi Rongowhakaata, whose exhibition Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow was on display at Te Papa 2017–2022.

Walkthrough tour of Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow

Take a virtual walkthrough of the exhibition Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow wherever you are, and explore the land, people, and stories of Rongowhakaata, an iwi whose unique art reflects their innate creativity, rich history, and innovative spirit. Ko Rongowhakaata closed in February 2022.

Still from video showing overheard shot of a town, the video footage is frames by carving of a Māori motif

Watch: Te Tiriti - An iwi perspective

Rongowhakaata iwi tells how the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, was first signed on the East Coast in their rohe, at Manutūkē.

Typefaced used in Ko Rongowhakaata: The story of Light and Shadow, 2017.

The story behind the Ko Rongowhakaata typeface

The origins of the typeface designed for the exhibition date back to the early 1800s, and is intimately connected to the iwi. Graphic designer Wol Jobson and Rongowhakaata’s Karl Johnstone tell it's story.

Artist interview: Tama Waipara, musician

Tama Waipara created the soundscape ‘Te Ripo’ for our latest iwi exhibition, Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow.

A number of people insert a special mount inside a big eel net

Watch: Preparing a hīnaki (eel trap) for the Rongowhakaata exhibition

Learn about the complex work that was involved in displaying a large hīnaki pūrangi (eel trap) made in the 1930s for the Rongowhakaata iwi exhibition.

Watch: Ko Rongowhakaata opening pōhiri (ceremony)

Watch the live-stream replay of the incredible 600-strong pōhiri, (ceremony) opening 'Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow'.

Watch: Prophecy and the arrival of Captain Cook in ‘Tiwha, Tiwha Te Pō | Dark, Dark is the Night’

English explorer James Cook’s visit to Tūranga is marked by suspicion, violence, and misunderstanding. Endeavour crew kill four Tūranga people. Nobody is held to account for the deaths.

Artist interview: Zak Waipara, filmmaker

Zak Waipara created the animated film Tiwha, Tiwha Te Pō | Dark, Dark is the Night for our latest iwi exhibition, 'Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow'.