Tagata Tangata 1 - Ngaa Tapuwae / Sacred Footsteps (First Episode)

This episode — the first of this 1993 series — takes a broad look at ancient Polynesian rites and rituals. Presenter Ramona Papali'i explores the Māori custom of returning the placenta to the land, the Samoan ceremony of betrothal, and the practice of traditional Samoan tattoo. Viewers are offered access to a Niuean ear-piercing ceremony and the investiture of a Fijian chief. There are stories of walking statues at Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and of the goddess Pele's volcanic beauty in Hawai'i. Papali’i interviews local knowledge keepers in each land, revealing what's at the heart of Polynesian culture: family, community, and people.

Each stage of our journey through the cycle of life, death and beyond is marked by ceremony, and the journey through life begins with a burial. The whenua burial is an ancient custom which the Māori brought with them from Hawaiki, the home of their ancestors.

– Narrator Ramona Papali’i

Key Cast & Crew

Alison Carter

Writer, Second Unit Director

Ramona Papali'i

Series Concept, Writer, Presenter, Narrator

Pete Smith

Research, Subject

Poumau Tialetagi Papali'i

Producer

John Maynard

Producer

Hone Edwards

Director