Premiere: WHAKANUIA: TĀME ITI: From Activist To Icon – On Whakaata Māori & Māori+

Activist. Artist. Icon. The life and times of Wairere Tāme Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe, Waikato) is a lesson in belief, tenacity and staying true to yourself.

In the second of two programmes celebrating the contributions of two very different New Zealanders (the first programme featured Dame Hinewehi Mohi) Whakaata Māori is proud to present WHAKANUIA: TĀME ITI focusing on a man who has left an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of Aotearoa.

WHAKANUIA: TĀME ITI premieres at 8.00PM Friday 27 September on Whakaata Māori and Māori+.

MC Julian Wilcox (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) describes WHAKANUIA: TĀME ITI as a fresh, entertainment-packed show that acknowledges a modern hero.

“Many New Zealanders will perhaps only remember Tāme Iti as the guy who fired a shotgun into a New Zealand flag, or one of those arrested as part of the Tūhoe raids,” says Julian Wilcox. “But again, there is so much more to the man.”

In an interview on the show, actor Cliff Curtis recalls with wonder ‘the arc of your journey’ that went from filming in Tūhoe, to being a celebrity in Ponsonby.

Funded by Te Māngai Pāho, WHAKANUIA was filmed in front of a live audience. The show includes celebrity guests, a house band and entertaining video interviews, acknowledging and reflecting on Tāme’s life, from his early days fighting for recognition of reo Māori with Ngā Tamatoa, to appearing on Celebrity Treasure Island.

WHAKANUIA: TĀME ITI – 8.0PM Friday 27 September: – Warrior, activist, artist, DJ, leader, creative icon. With determination, passion and creativity Tāme Iti has left his mark on Aotearoa. Host Julian Wilcox is joined by Troy Kingi, Cliff Curtis, Turia Schmidt-Peke, Willie Jackson, Mike King, James Mustapic and many more.

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