The desire and intention in creating these resources was to share Te Āti Awa perspective on the famous story of Ngake and Whātaitai and provide insights into supernatural events that impacted the landscape, the origins of key place names and the relationships people have with the natural environment.
Ngake me Whātaitai – book and animation
Te Rūnanga o Te Āti Awa / Ministry of Education
The Ngake me Whātaitai book and animation retells the story of Ngake and Whātaitai from the perspective of Te Āti Awa, including oral traditions from Te Kāhui Maunga – a collective term used to describe the different groupings that lived in the area of Te Upoko o te Ika prior to the arrival of Kupe to these shores.
Type of work
Book:
- Working with iwi
- Writers’ workshops
- Content development
- Editing and proofreading
- Quality assurance
- Illustration
- Design and creative solutions
Animation:
- Multimedia
- Storyboarding
- Quality assurance
- Design and creative solutions
Specifications
Book:
- Up to 24 pages + cover
- Full-colour illustrations throughout
- Teacher support materials
Animation:
- 2-minute video
- Full motion graphics and illustration
- Mix of narrative, script, SFX and score
HUIA believes it is important to work collaboratively with iwi in order to achieve the desired outcomes. HUIA worked alongside storytellers from Te Āti Awa to ensure their vision was brought to life.
The story text was written in Te Āti Awa/Taranaki dialect and includes language features such as onomatopoeia, verse and rhyme interest words. We wanted the story to be authentic to Te Āti Awa but also engaging for the target audience.
Building from the momentum achieved in the publication of the story, the animation is a short film based on the material developed for the book. This is the first of its kind showing the Kāhui Maunga story of how Te Whanganui a Tara was formed.
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