People like Us - Apirana Mahuika

Television (Full Length) – 1981

This People Like Us episode profiles Apirana Mahuika, before he became leader of Ngāti Porou. Having left lecturing at Massey University to return to his East Coast hometown of Tikitiki, Mahuika talks at his farm 'laboratory' about tamarillos, gangs, and coming home. He hopes his progressive farming (trialling kiwifruit and wine) will encourage young Ngāti Porou to remain and find jobs. A key figure in many Treaty of Waitangi claims and lead negotiator of Ngāti Porou's claim, Mahuika died in February 2015; Tau Henare said "his passing will cut a swathe through the forest".

The land belongs to us, so we should be trained, properly, so that we can take over positions of management, executive positions and so on. Not only the carriers of water and hewers of wood.
– Apirana Mahuika