Maori radical awaiting trial on gun charges to perform in Europe

Raewyn WhyteJun 5th, 2008 - 11:52:30

Tame Iti has a significant, pivotal cameo role in Tempest II which is presentd by the world's leading Pacific (rather than Maori) contemporary performance company, MAU Dance. As a representative of his iwi, Tuhoe, Iti's narration of events in his own life in the Tuhoe homeland, have a particular resonance and significance across the Pacific as it is a story of abbrogated rights, resistance to colonisation, of the tribe holding to a particular political, shared vision which guides their daily lives.

This Tempest is not 'based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest' -- rather it can be analysed in ways which draw connections and particular relationships to themes of that original play -- equity, social justice, usurpation of sovereignty by invaders of a particular 'island', the abbrogation of rights... and the process of sopcial upheaval whic results when the origainl occupants of the land hold to their vision of self-rule.

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