Te Ika a Ranganui - Our Spirit Lives On

Ngāti Whātua haka theatre production

Ngāti Whātua takes you on a journey of broken friendships, sworn enemies, love, war, annihilation and hope. 200 years since the battle of annihilation, our spirit lives on.

TE IKA A RANGANUI – OUR SPIRIT LIVES ON, an original Ngāti Whātua screenplay based on historical accounts, takes the audience on a journey of broken friendships, sworn enemies, total annihilation, and a prophesy of hope.

This Ngāti Whātua haka theatre production presents bilingual storytelling through rigorous haka, rich cultural & environmental audio, interpretive movement, incantations of old, Māori weaponry and both contemporary and traditional Māori waiata.

A culmination of ancient tradition, storytelling, and performance, TE IKA A RANGANUI – OUR SPIRIT LIVES ON takes the audience back in time to witness events through the eyes of a Ngāti Whātua kuia. Her name unknown, she lived during the time of two historic battles, Mōremunui and Te Ika a Ranganui.

Her legacy is a mōteatea, a song of grief composed in two parts over 16 years spanning both battles. Captured at the second battle Te Ika a Ranganui in 1825, she improvised her final verses, adding to the original ones, before being shot point blank by Hongi Hika.

TE IKA A RANGANUI – OUR SPIRIT LIVES ON is an emotional rollercoaster transporting the audience through the trials and tribulations of Ngāti Whātua during that era.

In 2025, Ngāti Whātua commemorate the 200th anniversary since the battle of Te Ika a Ranganui.

PRICE

$30 - $50

Please note service fees will apply to the above price.

LOCATION:
Rangatira, Q Theatre
Duration: 60 minutes

Audience Warning: Haze & Strobe

Presented by:
Tumutumuwhenua Cultural Trust