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Waitangi is marking the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Māori Land March with a new exhibition, Te Matakite o Aotearoa. Central to the exhibition is the full-length 1975 documentary Te Matakite o Aotearoa: The Māori Land March, directed by Geoff Steven, a powerful visual record of a pivotal moment in Aotearoa’s history.
Accompanying the film are large canvas prints of Dame Whina Cooper and the land march, along with Background to the Making of Te Matakite o Aotearoa: The Māori Land March—Steven’s own reflection on the process, challenges and vision behind documenting the journey. Visitors can also view the original 1975 Māori Land March flag—known as the Pou Whenua—in the Ko Waitangi Tēnei exhibition. Screenings of the film will be held daily at 9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
“The mid-1970s were exciting and changing times,” says director Geoff Steven.
“We had recovered from the culturally turbulent 60s and we baby boomers were flexing our own muscles both culturally and politically … I was a young filmmaker interested in the so-called ‘direct cinema’ or cinema vérité style of documentary making … letting the story unfold in front of the lens as it happened… The finished film is the story of a group of people, who with dedication, determination and dignity took their message to the country.”
Owen Taituha, curatorial manager at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, says it is an honour to host Te Matakite o Aotearoa. “As a place where history, treaty, land and identity converge, Waitangi offers the perfect setting to remember the 1975 Māori Land March … an event that changed the national conversation about Māori land rights and Te Tiriti.”
In 2025, Te Matakite o Aotearoa is more than a document of its time—it is a living bridge between past and present. The film’s observational style invites audiences today to step into the shoes of those who marched. It is a reminder of the spiritual, physical and political dimensions of the Land March: the hardships, the marae pōwhiri, the petition, the oratory, and above all, the convictions that drove thousands to mobilise for the whenua.
The exhibition at The Gallery, Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, offers a powerful space for reflection and will be on display until Sunday, October 19, 2025.
