Billed simply as “The Prophets” the series’ trailer reads:

“While some of their narratives are stories of reconciliation and peace, others are tales soaked in blood.”

The slick seven-part documentary by Scottie Productions sets the scene with one of the earliest and least known biblically-inspired Maori prophets, Ngapuhi tohunga, Papahurihia.

It trails along the influential path of Pai Marire founder, Te Ua Haumene, and investigates Te Kooti’s legacy of the Ringatu faith.

Next it goes to Parihaka and Dunedin, to retell the stories of Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, and their movement of peaceful resistance.

In Episode five it crosses into Tuhoe country, to discover the way of Rua Kenana and to draw near to the site of his “City of God,” established in the Urewera mountains.

Finally, it opens a window on the 20th Century movement begun by visionary and faith healer Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana.

Series producer Meg Douglas set out to bring the prophets to light for both a Maori and Pakeha audience, many of whom she expected would be hearing of them for the first time.

But first, she needed a presenter whose religious background would add authenticity to the series.

Broadcaster and priest the Ven Dr Hone Kaa was her choice.

When he took up the challenge, Hone brought his son Hirini on board, to add historic clout to the project.

Hirini came with his MA in history in tow. That was completed, in part, under Judith Binney’s tutelage, a historian whose work lays the foundations for much of the written histories of the prophets.

Picking up the task, the Kaas steered it away from the “adventure pirate flick” approach, which would have seen dramatic recreations of flashpoints in the prophets’ lives.

They set off instead, to tell a story of “faith looking at faith”.

Then, before funding could be approved, Hone became seriously ill and the Kaa family stepped back.

It became clear that Hone would not be able to complete the project.

And sadly, he passed away. While the series was still waiting in the wings. 

When Scottie’s Meg Douglas and Maori TV came back to the drawing board, there was only one name on everybody’s lips.

Rev Hirini Kaa was the man to take up his father’s mantle for The Prophets. 

A GIFT FROM HIS FATHER

For Hirini, this journey along the prophets’ pathway has been a gift from his father. And his dad’s reputation went with him, opening doors along the way.

He needed that help on occasion, too.

Like the day the production crew turned up to meet Rua Kenana’s people, in the Urewera village of Matahi.

A really staunch powhiri met them on arrival, with pointed reminders of Hirini’s own Ngati Porou forbears coming through and killing people there.

In initial negotiations with the Ratana Church, difficult histories were raised again:

“Well, there are only two groups of people we don’t get along with,” said one kaumatua,

And those are… Ngati Porou and Anglicans.”

But once those long-held antagonisms were out in the open, Hirini’s own status as a man of faith, his dad’s renown, and the fact he was there to listen, all helped to get the conversation started.

All of the movements have suffered injustice at the hands of the Crown at some stage.

And all of them have raised the ire of at least some part of our Church.

Yet like any detail of history, things seldom line up neatly with good all on one side, and bad on the other.

Essential to the prophetic vision was Maori resistance to the ravages of colonial invasion.

Yet Te Whiti longed for peace and prosperity between the peoples, and Ratana made a long-lasting political partnership with Labour, through Michael Joseph Savage.

Many of the 19thC movements had Pakeha supporters, and most had Maori opponents.

When Ratana’s Trinitarian faith healing first began, evangelical Anglican and Methodist clergy were among his most ardent advocates.

But later, when tens of thousands of Maori had come to believe in Ratana’s access to spiritual power, the Anglican Church decided his theology had strayed too far, and his reach grown too large – and excommunicated both the man and his followers.

According to Hirini, that action forced people into an “either/or” choice, which led to the overnight loss of almost half of Te Haahi Mihinare’s1 adherents.

“In the middle of the Depression, that one action split Maori communities in half.

“You can still see graveyards in little villages, which are split by a physical line down the middle - with Ratana on one side, and Mihinare on the other”

Of course, it wasn’t only the Pakeha church who acted against the prophets. Sir Apirana Ngata for example, had worked to keep Ratana’s movement out of Ngati Porou. Many Maori agreed with that stance.

Hirini can now see another way across the divides. When you get up close, the prophets look like different members of the same whanau, facing the same crisis and searching for the same solutions.

And historically, there are plenty of examples of family connections.

Although Hirini’s whanau has always been unshakably Mihinare, his Great-Grandmother was prophesied over by Te Kooti, and those words became part of the family history.

When an 1865 Ngati Porou civil war (between Pai Marire and Mihinare factions) ended with defeat for Pai Marire, the two groups reconciled through intermarriage.

“So we are Mihinare, but we still have whakapapa connections to the prophets.”

Hirini found himself moved just by being in the places these visionary leaders had walked.

“I had heard about all of these people, I had read about them, I knew about them.

“But then going there, to their holy places, and meeting their followers…

…what I didn’t know, was how it was going to feel.”

Parihaka for example, lived up to everything he’d expected - and more.

He saw pain, still keenly felt, for the relatives who’d suffered the 1881 sacking of Parihaka.

He heard the intimate way Te Whiti and Tohu’s followers talked about their prophets.

In Matahi, he was struck by the ardent faith of Rua Kenana’s followers.

 “These people just had this real inner glow. They had a self-awareness, a self-knowledge of being followers of Te Mihaia Hou (The New Messiah)2.

"They had this sense of peace. They were so open.

“We have so much to learn from these movements.

“The real difference between us, and any of the prophetic movements, is that they know their story, they take it very seriously, and they want to share it.

“It reinforced for me how the mainstream church fails at communicating our message.”

“Our Mihinare story is just as big, not as tragic, but just as important.

“We need to be telling our own stories. Not having others tell them for us.”

Hirini saw another dimension to the radical openness of Rua’s people.

“There were four of them. One was Mormon, one was Ringatu, one was Presbyterian and one was a searcher.

… all sat there as followers of Rua. …

It was almost like saying,

“In Christ, there is neither Ringatu, nor Mormon…”

“Here was a sign of the possibilities of faith, because these days faith is disappearing from Maori.

“… Future generations have moved to the cities and now they have X-Box to worship instead of God.

“There’s so much work to do, and we’re running out of time.”

GROUNDED IN AOTEAROA

Hirini points out that one of the prophets’ biggest attractions for Maori, is one of their most obvious traits.

They hail from right here. The movements look to this land for their stories of spiritual sustenance.

“I think we need to be grounded in the soil of Aotearoa. We need to relate Scripture directly to this context.

“We can’t keep looking to Europe or North America for answers on each new thing that comes up.”

After meeting some of the movements firsthand, Hirini has realized they are not – as he’d once thought of some - the opposite of the church. More like different branches on the same tree.

“…we’ve all been looking for the same things, we’ve been seeking the Kingdom of God.”

“I’m on a journey now. I would like to see unity. The Maori ecumenical movement fell apart a while ago – but we just need to admit that we need each other and get on with it.”

One common point is a foundational relationship with Scripture.

Each of the Maori visionaries were versed in both Old and New Testaments and were deeply influenced by them.

In fact, the power of Scripture runs like a golden thread right through the entire series.

“In the first episodes about the missionaries, we were challenging Maoridom by saying that Scripture has had a huge role.

“The longest standing movement for Maori sovereignty, the Kingitanga, arose out of Scripture.

“Scripture is in our DNA, we can’t take it out.

Previous generations took it for granted, it was mother’s milk.”

However, in contemporary Maori higher education, it is becoming increasingly counter-cultural to claim a place for Scripture.

“There’s this whole line of thought that wants to trace an unadulterated line of Maori culture from Hawaiiki to today.

And they want to excise Scripture and Christianity out of that.

“Often their own kaumatua shake their heads in the background. They think it’s ridiculous to talk like that.”

Scripture can be an ideological battleground, says Hirini, which is why he brought in theologian Dr Jenny Te Paa and Mihinare biblical heavyweight,
 the Rev Don Tamihere.

As a go-to biblical scholar, what stands out about Don is his ability to speak powerfully into the heart of a Maori worldview - straight from the source of Scripture.

Hirini could see that working for the technicians behind the cameras.

“I was watching my mates filming Don.

 He was speaking about biblical concepts about whenua, putting it into a Maori context.

“This was a very experienced camera crew.3 I wouldn’t say they’re jaded, but they’ve pretty much heard it all.

“But with Don, the filming just went on and on, and they were gobsmacked. Afterwards they said, “We could listen to that guy for hours”.

“I think there was a message in there that the churches have a lot to offer.

But it was in there subtly.”  

FOOTNOTE:

When Taonga went to print, The Prophets episodes were still available for view on Maori TV’s website under a search for “prophets”. The whole series can be ordered on DVD for $40, from the online shop at www.scottieproductions.co.nz

1. Te Haahi Mihinare, Mihinare, – The Missionary Church, members of the Missionary Church, name used to describe Maori  Anglicans.

2. While The New Messiah is a literal translation, the meaning of this term is more nuanced.

3. The crew included cameraman Leon Narbey, who filmed on the movies Whale Rider and The Orator.

Julanne Clarke-Morris is Editor of Taonga magazine.