Taranaki Heritage Month is back for 2025 and we had an awesome first weekend of events!

We had a fantastic turnout for our Panel Discussion on Friday evening at the Plymouth International Hotel, with another 2000 or so joining us online! A huge thank you to chair Dr Ruakere Hond, and panellists Michael Belgrave, Alistair Reese, Dinnie Moeahu, Liana Poutu and Tuhi-Ao Bailey, as well as all our attendees.

On Saturday morning we delved deeper into the themes of the previous night’s Panel Discussion, with Michael Belgrave, Alistair Reese, and Ngāti Kawa Taituha (Waitangi Marae Chairperson), sharing their views on events at Waitangi in 1840. The importance of context in understanding and interpreting events in 1840, and beyond, was a common theme across the presentations.

Full video of both Friday and Saturday events will be available on our website soon thanks to Te Korimako O Taranaki. Let’s keep up the positive kōrero around Te Tiriti!

Sunday saw the first of the the Old Archived Film of Taranaki events put on by the Taranaki Media Archive at the Govett Brewster/Len Lye centre, as well as Huatoki Hīkoi, Ko Te Ara Puawai O Huatoki.

We were immensely privileged to have Damon Ritai, Tumu Whakarito – Te Kāhui o Taranaki, guide us on a walk up Brougham St and along the Huatoki Walkway. Damon painted a picture of central Ngāmotu as a rich pre-European Māori landscape, a place of settlement abundant in natural resources, comprising pā, papakāinga and māra, including Puke Ariki Pā, Mawhera, Waimanu/Pukupupuru Pā, and Pūkākā Pā, amongst many others.

This weekend is just the beginning of a month long calendar of events from 3 October to 8 November! Be sure to keep an eye on our socials and check out the latest version of our programme on the Heritage Taranaki website: https://heritagetaranaki.com/heritage-month-2025…/