The Politics of Toheroa Soup

Toheroa was once New Zealand’s favourite shellfish, with a global reputation delivered to the mouths of foreigners through canned meat and soups. In the 1900s extensive overharvesting led to a collapse in population and near extinction resulting in a total ban in 1982. For Māori, the loss of toheroa - an important food source for hapū and iwi has had a profound impact.

‘The Politics of Toheroa Soup’ follows tangata whenua, hapū and iwi who are on a journey to revitalise and rebuild toheroa populations. 

WHY IS THIS STORY IMPORTANT

The toheroa, was a staple of the Māori diet for centuries. But today over forty years since commercial harvesting was banned, they remain endangered.

This story is personal as my whānau lived off toheroa for generations. In this documentary, I plan to talk with both my own whānau and Māori up and down Aotearoa’s West Coast to share the story of those who are increasingly asserting their rights to control, protect and restore the toheroa. Together we will explore the conservation work whānau, hapū and iwi are doing in order to revitalise the toheroa to ensure their future survival. 

The toheroa are dependent on us to ensure their survival. In making this documentary I hope to raise awareness and use it as a learning resource for years to come so we can rebuild the population so it can be a delicacy we can all enjoy.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO TELL THIS STORY

We already have partial funding from Māoriland and the NZ Film Commission but I need to raise $6,000 to support transport, accommodation, gear and an animator to help me illustrate some of the kōrero from our whānau. 

The Politics of Toheroa Soup will give my whānau and others the opportunity to show how traditional food cannot be separated from culture, language, social life, spirituality and total identity.

ABOUT ME

Kia ora! Ko Tiana Pēwhairangi Trego-Hall ahau, I am a mokopuna of Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whātua and Tainui iwi and of the Numangatini people from the Island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands. I am 20 and am in my final year at Auckland University of Technology studying a BA in Māori Development in Māori Media. I’ve spent my life between Auckland and Kaihu, a little settlement in Northern Kaipara. In these communities, I have been filled up with knowledge from the wāhine in my whānau, including our stories about the toheroa. 

As a first-year uni student I asked my Nan to share with me a favourite whānau recipe. This interview led to a kōrero about the toheroa and its significance to our whānau, the impact of seabed legislation and our efforts to save the toheroa from extinction.

MY TEAM

The Politics of Toheroa Soup is part of the Ngā Pakiaka Incubator Project (NPIP). NPIP was developed by Māoriland during Lockdown to support rangatahi filmmakers to produce their first professional short films. The first eight in NPIP are Aree Kapa, Oriwa Hakaraia, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Kararaina Ngatai-Melbourne, Te Waiarangi Ratana, Bailey Poching, Tiana Trego Hall and Te Mahara Tamehana. All eight filmmakers have personal creative goals to become feature filmmakers and share Indigenous stories on the big screen. Under NPIP, this talented rangatahi have received one-on-one mentorship from industry experts from across the Indigenous filmmaking sector, craft development opportunities, workshops, and industry placements. With your help, NPIP will grow Aotearoa's film industry with;

• Eight new short films from rangatahi Māori directors
• 24 rangatahi receiving on set training
• Two rangatahi Producers (Māori & Sāmoan)
• Two reo Māori films
• Pilot for Māori web-series (Manu Masters)
• Proof of concept for rangatahi Māori feature film (Ruarangi)