One of the few fully carved wharenui in Northland is among the stars of a new television series.
The Maori-language series Whare Taonga, on the Te Reo Channel and Maori Television, is a 13-part journey uncovering the stories behind some of New Zealand's best-known meeting houses.
As well as exploringdesign and construction, the series also delves into each whare's mauri and wairua to explore their cultural and historical significance.
Tumatauenga at Otiria Marae near Moerewa is one of the featured wharenui.
It was named for the god of war and built in memory of the legendary 28th Maori Battalion. The storyteller for the Moerewa episode, Te Rere i Tiria, is Tumamao Harawira and the main interviewee is the noted academic Erima Henare.
Producer Megan Douglas, of Scottie Productions, said the featured buildings were not only beautiful, they were also vessels for the stories of hapu and iwi and Aotearoa as a nation.
"Those who live in and around these whare have strong emotional relationships with them, and we were privileged to have people share quite personal stories about the whare's presence in their lives," she said.
The Moerewa episode screens on July 29 on the Te Reo Channel and August 11 on Maori Television.
