New show to feature South, encourage connection with whenua
Kahurangi Mahuika sits in Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau/Sinclair Wetlands during the filming of upcoming show Nomad. PHOTO: ALEX BRADSHAW / FIRE FIRE PRODUCTIONS
The face of an upcoming programme showcasing Māori across Te Waipounamu (the South Island) hopes it will encourage all people to connect to the land.
Tonight the show, called Nomad, will premiere on Whakaata Māori and online platform MĀORI+.
The show follows Kahurangi Mahuika, a young Māori nomad, as he explores the South with his family and pursues a life lived off the land, just as his tīpuna did.
Through his journey, Kahurangi meets people from places all over Te Waipounamu who are living self-sufficiently.
Episode four takes Otago and Southland viewers to the familiar Taieri Plains in Otago, then down to the Ōtapiri area in Southland.
Mr Mahuika said the episode, partially set in the Sinclair Wetlands, would see him catching up with a cousin named Tumai Cassidy, who was leading a project focused on restoration of ancestral land returned to Kāi Tahu.
"It was awesome just to see the whenua, see what their project is doing — they have a massive range from nurseries to breaking down whale blubber ... and trying to bring the biodiversity of their wetlands [back] to their former glory."
He said they were showcasing a lifestyle alternative to the classic "go to school to go to university, get a job and eventually retire" social norm.
"I would love to think we could help inspire more of our young people, our Māori people and all people to be more conscious of the environment and the lifestyle that they lead.
"We can create something beautiful with balance — it takes sacrifice, but at the end of the day it is worth it," he said.
Mr Mahuika first made connections to the series creator — Alex Bradshaw from Fire Fire Productions — when filming another show called West Coasters, which chronicles the way of life for Māori living along the West Coast of New Zealand.
"I jumped in on that kaupapa ... I was on their series for a couple of episodes, nothing major."
After that, Mr Bradshaw asked if Mr Mahuika if he would like to collaborate on something in the future — and a few years later Nomad was born.
"They designed this show ... as a thought or a whakaaro around a Māori family in the South Island, and how they connect to the land."
laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
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