Series Classification: PG (Parental Guidance)
This episode contains descriptions of exhumation and human remains. Viewer discretion is advised.
For English translations, turn on by clicking 'English Subtitles' when hovering over the video
Meet one of Aotearoa's most compelling and misunderstood historical figures - Te Whakatōhea Chief Mokomoko.
In episode four, we look at the aftermath of his wrongful execution in 1866.
After land was confiscated from the Whakatōhea iwi via the Settlements Act of 1863, the remaining Māori were left with only a small amount of liveable land made difficult to access by hills, gorges and valleys.
Three years later, Chief Mokomoko was executed and the court declined his family's request for a proper burial.
Mokomoko would spend 123 years buried in the courtyard of Auckland's Mt Eden Gaol before his remains were returned to his ancestral land of Ōpōtiki.
In 1988, with the help of some experts in Māori exhumation, the Mokomoko whanau were able to see their tipuna [ancestor] brought back to his land.
Te Māngai Pāho Photo: Te Māngai Pāho
