Photos from the 1995 occupation of Pakaitore will go on display for the first time at the Whanganui Regional Museum this week.
Pakaitore: a photographic essay by Leigh Mitchell-Anyon opens at the museum on Friday morning - the day before the 20th anniversary of the occupation's beginning.
The 70 black-and-white prints are a selection from more than 1000 photos Mr Mitchell-Anyon took in and around Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens in autumn 1995.
That year, Mr Mitchell-Anyon was a commercial photographer in Wanganui, as well as studying photography extramurally at Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey University). As part of his studies he was required to subject three photographic projects, and he decided he'd like to photograph the occupation.
"The people at Pakaitore had a hui on the marae every evening, so I went along and asked permission to take photos. They agreed and gave me free rein to take photos wherever I wanted."
Mr Mitchell-Anyon was busy with business and studies but went to Pakaitore whenever he could.
He saw his role as documenting the real life of the people there.
"I was an observer rather than a commentator, and the people of Pakaitore had no expectations of me."
After the occupation ended, Mr Mitchell-Anyon made one set of prints for himself to submit for his studies and another to give to the iwi.
He's delighted they are to be displayed at the museum.
"I had a very privileged insight into one of Aotearoa's most historic events," he said.
"I promised the iwi I wouldn't show these photos in public unless I had a mandate from them."
"What viewers will get from these photos is the opposite of what the media portrayed at the time. They portrayed it as a race issue and as a negative thing. But it wasn't - it was a very positive experience," Mr Mitchell-Anyon said.
The exhibition would run for a year, then the prints would be gifted by Mr Mitchell-Anyon and the Pakaitore Committee to the museum.
The exhibition was funded by Whanganui Community Foundation, Creative Communities, residual funds from previous Whanganui Art Awards, Wanganui District Council Community Contracts and the Moutoa Peace Fund.