Lost in Translation, in NZonScreen→

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Inspired by an epiphany at the Waitangi Treaty grounds in 2000, and after learning New Zealand’s founding document was actually several pieces of paper, comedian Mike King went on a quest to learn the stories behind Te Tiriti O Waitangi. King traces the 1840 path of the nine sheets as it accrued its 540 signatures, meets Māori and Pākehā descendants of those involved, and connects with his Māori heritage. The 10-part series screened on Māori Television. Dominion Post critic Linda Burgess acclaimed it as “dignified, conciliatory, informative ...”

The Governor television series, in NZonScreen→

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The Governor was a television epic that examined the life of Governor George Grey in six thematic parts. Grey's "Good Governor" persona was undercut with laudanum, lechery and land confiscation. NZ TV's first (and only) historical blockbuster was hugely controversial, provoking a parliamentary inquiry and "test match sized" audiences. It won a 1978 Feltex Award for Best Drama. Auckland Star reviewer Barry Shaw trumpeted: "It has made Māori matter. If Pākehā now have a better understanding of the Māori point of view [...] it stems from The Governor”.

Bridget Williams Books Treaty of Waitangi Collection, in EPIC electronic collection→

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From the website: This Collection is a landmark digital resource from Bridget Williams Books (BWB), an award-winning New Zealand publisher. Designed and managed in-house at BWB, the Collection is primarily designed to:

  • provide a new and authoritative home for Treaty scholarship online, with more books to be added over time

  • offer a clear, fast and responsive design, optimised for mobile and tablet devices

  • deliver flexible and intuitive use of the books that avoids proprietary technology, and instead acknowledges how readers and researchers use the web day-to-day

  • evolve over time using a platform built on open standards and drawing on features, such as CrossRef – that are built to last.

Heritage Trail Apps, by Heritage New Zealand→

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Heritage Trails - your gateway to some unforgettable heritage experiences through a series of free, interactive tours for smart phones and tablets. Experience history right where it happened, and listen to extraordinary stories of amazing people and places. There are three apps:

  • Path to Nationhood, Northland

  • The Waikato War 1863-64

  • High Street Stories (High Street Christchurch, before the earthquakes of 2010/11).

"Artefact" television programme by Māori television - website→

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Time travel and delve into taonga both famous and obscure with Dame Anne Salmond, telling tremendous stories about our Aotearoa. Especially:

  • Episode 1 - Star Travel

  • Episode 2 - Tangata Whenua

  • Episode 3 - The Power of Gifts

He Tohu exhibition website, by National Library - English medium teaching resources→

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He Tohu is a permanent exhibition of three iconic constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa New Zealand:

  • 1835 He Whakaputanga Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of NZ

  • 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi

  • 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine

The Possum Problem, by Johanna Knox→

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"Possums. You hardly ever see them, but they’re all around: in the bush, on farms, in parks. They might even be in your garden. During the day, possums stay in their dens. These are dry, hidden places where they won’t be disturbed. Possums emerge after dark, millions upon millions of them, all across New Zealand. And what do they do? They eat."

Family Photographs, by Alison Wong →

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In this prose poem, the poet reflects on two old photographs that show her father at different ages. In one, her father was four years old and was living in New Zealand with his family. By the time of the second photo, the family had gone back to China and there are two more children. Both photos show his siblings, and the clothes they wear reflect the styles of the two very different countries.

Ngā Tātarakihi o Parihaka, by Lucy Bailey→

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This story, set at Parihaka just prior to the government raid in 1881, is told from the perspective of a young girl who was living there. The author’s great-grandmother was living at Parihaka at that time, and the story is partially based on oral history.

Ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Wars, by Ross Calman→

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“The New Zealand Wars” describes the wars fought between 1845 and 1872. The wars were about who controlled the country and who owned the land. This long and fascinating article explains the circumstances of the wars, including the areas and tribes involved. There are good general descriptions of the main confrontations and key players, both Māori and British. The text is written by a Māori author who presents a balanced account of the wars and their impacts. 

Bok Choy, by Paul Mason→

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This seemingly simple historical story carries an important message about discrimination. It is set in a goldmining town in Otago during the 1860s gold rush. Jacob’s mother is glad to buy bok choy (Chinese cabbage) from Ah Sum, but Ah Sum’s presence brings out the worst in their neighbour Mrs Bishop and her son, William. William taunts Ah Sum and leaves Jacob feeling confused about his loyalties. When Jacob slips into the river while fishing, it is Ah Sum who rescues him. The story shows how Jacob becomes aware of the realities of Ah Sum’s life. The ending is left open for readers to infer the long-term impact of Jacob’s encounter with Ah Sum.
NB: instructional series contains a text version at reading year level 6, and a comic version in the School Journal Story Library at reading year level 4.

Tohunga, by Potiki

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This intense and dramatic “slice of life” story recounts the time when a mother had to take her sick child in secret to a tohunga. It is set after 1907, when the New Zealand government made it illegal for tohunga to practise rongoā Māori. “Tohunga” provides rich material for both Māori and non-Māori students to explore themes of cultural similarities and differences.