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December 28, 2025
Mana: Tāme Iti’s Story of Resistance, Identity and Hope
Waatea Team
Posted On December 28, 2025
In 2025 we were reminded once again why Tāme Iti is regarded as one of Aotearoa’s most iconic Māori figures – not just for his decades of activism and protest, but for the way he lives and embodies the concept of mana itself.
On 15 September, Waatea News featured a powerful interview with Tāme Iti ahead of the release of his memoir Mana – a kōrero that reaches far beyond autobiography into our collective stories of resistance, identity, language and resilience.
The timing of the interview was deeply symbolic: it came on the 50‑year anniversary of the historic Māori land march from Te Hāpua to Wellington – a cornerstone of modern Māori protest movements. Iti, who has been part of many key moments in Māori political and cultural activism, shared reflections on his life shaped by colonialism, protest, silence and speaking up.
In the interview, he talks about:
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Resistance and resilience – recalling his involvement in land marches and his lifelong commitment to tino rangatiratanga.
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Language journey – how being discouraged from speaking te reo Māori as a child shaped his work as a champion for revitalising the language.
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Identity and dignity – what it means to hold mana, whether it can be taken, and how it is earned or expressed through living authentically for one’s community.
Tāme Iti is widely known as an activist and artist whose work – from performance and theatre to painting and speaking – carries deep cultural expression, challenging the status quo while nurturing the spirit of Māori creativity. Throughout his life, he has used his voice and art to remind Aotearoa of our history, struggles, and the strength in standing firm for what is right.
Listen to the full Waatea News audio interview with Tāme Iti here:
https://waateanews.com/2025/09/15/tame-iti-rangatira-maori-activist-artist-actor/ Waatea News
This conversation is more than a profile of a Māori leader. It is an invitation to reflect on our own journeys – to speak up, to claim identity, and to understand mana not just as a personal attribute, but as something deeply collective, lived and felt across generations.
Ngā mihi nui ki a Tāme Iti – for his mahi, his korero, and his enduring example that the long road of resistance can also be a path of hope.
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