NEW TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s deputy culture minister said an exhibition on New Zealand Maori peoples’ struggle against colonialism that opened in New Taipei on Tuesday (Sept. 24) can help Taiwan on its own path towards justice for Indigenous people.
“Toitu te Maori: New Zealand Maori Historical Justice on Screen” exhibits films and displays about Maori and New Zealand’s colonial past at the National Human Rights Museum. Taiwan’s Deputy Culture Minister Lee Ching-hui (李靜慧) attended the exhibition's opening, alongside New Zealand Maori and Indigenous Taiwanese filmmakers, and officials from the two countries.
Lee said the exhibition grew from a Cabinet recommendation that the culture ministry work to promote transitional justice via international collaborations. “I hope the experience of New Zealand Maori can be a reference for Taiwan,” she said.
The Taiwan Society for Pacific Studies co-curated the exhibition with New Zealand’s Kathryn Graham. The society’s director Lin Hao-li (林浩立) and others embarked on research trip to New Zealand about three years ago in preparation, which was funded by the National Human Rights Museum with support from the New Zealand representative office in Taiwan.
Lin said the story of fighting for justice is equally powerful in New Zealand and in Taiwan, adding that it is an “unfinished project” in both places. He also emphasized that the colonial experiences of both countries are very different.
In this regard, Lin said the exhibition is not designed for Taiwan to “learn from,” but to “create a dialogue between New Zealand and Taiwan’s Indigenous people.”
The 2022 film “Whina” was shown at the opening, after which the movie’s director Paula Whetu Jones was joined by Lin, Graham, and Tayal Director Sayun Simung (莎韻西孟) for a panel discussion. Siming said the film “really resonates,” because the issues of land rights and Indigenous sovereignty are part of her own story.
Whina is a biopic of Maori activist Whina Cooper, who in 1975 led a 1,100 kilometer march through New Zealand in protest of Maori land loss under colonial rule. The 79-year-old led 5,000 people into the country’s capital, and the protest is credited with contributing to the creation of a tribunal to investigate historical land loss and other issues for Maori.
Sayun, who is also the head of the Indigenous Film Academy of Taiwan, said films like “Whina” are why she decided to establish Taiwan’s first Indigenous film school. She said Indigenous film exists to show the continuing effects of colonialism, disprove stereotypes, and tell local stories.
“We have a lot of trauma we need to address,” she said, and added that film can be a “powerful tool” to take action with.
Graham said she is optimistic about the opportunities for creative collaboration between Maori and Indigenous Taiwanese filmmakers, and that she is aware of many exchanges amongst both sides filmmakers in the past. However, she said the main obstacle to Indigenous filmmakers in Taiwan and New Zealand is finding funding.
In addition to the creative, Graham said future collaborations could focus on discussing how to raise funds for Indigenous filmmakers in Taiwan, and how to create policy change that would see more investment in the industry.
“Toitu te Maori: New Zealand Maori Historical Justice on Screen” is showing at the National Human Rights Museum until March 2025. As well as museum exhibits, the films “Whina”, the “The Maori Land March,” “No Maori Allowed,” “Bastion Point: Day 507,” and “Waitangi: What Really Happened,” will be screened for free at regular intervals.