Over the course of Week 4 this term, 237 ākonga across our Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Haka class watched Tiri: TE Araroa Woman Far Walking, nā Witi Ihimaera. This was an opportunity given to us by the Auckland Theatre Company to view the production through a digital classroom.
Tiri:Te Araroa Woman Far Walking is about Tiri Mahana. She was born the day te Tiriti was signed, and she carries 185 years of history.
Looking into Aotearoa’s past; the arrival of Captain Cook, the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the New Zealand Wars, the rise of the Ringatū faith, the world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic, the 1981 Springbok Tour protests, and the Waitangi commemorations that continue into the present day.
The 100-minute bilingual production weaves Witi Ihimaera’s poetic storytelling with Maioha Allen’s language adaptation and Katie Wolfe’s visceral direction. The result asks how we will walk forward together, honouring the past while shaping the future.
