TANIA NIWA CAPTURES AERIAL VIEWS OF HISTORIC NGĀTI TE WHITI PĀ SITES FOR PUKE ARIKI MUSEUM NGĀMOTU FILM

The Puke Ariki Museum Cinema has been re-opened and is showcasing this new short film to honour and showcase mana whenua, our local hapū Ngāti Te Whiti. My role in this film was to shoot the aerial video footage of the locations of significance as engaged by Strategy Collective who created the film for Venture Taranaki – Te Puna Umanga.

Having an opportunity to see locations that were once thriving Māori villages and fortifications pre-European settlement was jaw dropping. There are still visible tracks and shapes on pā site hill tops reflecting this.

The film is narrated by our Te Ātiawa esteemed cultural expert and education facilitator, Damon Ritai who is Deputy Chair of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. 

Locations of significance that feature are Puke Ariki pā site – “the hill of chiefs” the home of Puke Ariki Museum. 

You will also see the sillhouette of Paritutu as the sun rises from the east, then the early morning sun over Motuotamatea, one of the islands to the south of Paritutu and the glistening waters of Ōnukutaipari (Back Beach).   

For me personally, this project was a highly educational one,as it was an opportunity to learn of the real names of our pā sites like Pūkākā (Marsland Hill) where the observatory is located behind the New Plymouth Cathedral. 

Below WITT Te Pūkenga, by the lower carpark is Pukewarangi pā which sits alongside the Te Hēnui awa (stream) .  The especially well known awa meanders west and out to sea.  Not far from Pukewarangi on the northern side of the river banks is Parihamore Pā where there are significant geographic features reflecting early settlement.  

Another significant historic location is from Waiwhakaiho, home of Ngāti Tawhirikura Hapū.  As well as getting a sense of the Waiwhakaiho awa, Te Rewa Rewa Bridge and  coastline you will also see the view of Taranaki Maunga, Pouakai and Kaitake ranges and the geographic relationships to Paritutu and the Ngāmotu Islands.

One pā site I was enlightened to learn about was Ngāmotu Pā. Today it is surrounded by suburban homes.  Next to it is Ngāmotu Domain.  

For more info here is a link to Puke Ariki Museum story about the video.  

Check out the Daily News story as well as some insights from Venture Taranaki where you can see more about this collaboration with Ngāti Te Whiti, NPDC’s Puke Ariki, and supported by Puke Ariki Trust and NP Partners.