TV and te Tiriti

TV and TE TIRITI key factors in Aotearoas bicultural surgesurveys Mori-Pkeh relations from the Treaty of Waitangi signing in February 1840 to the end of 2022.Its author, D. Brent Leslie, was a writer/director on Koha, the first regular television programme featuring Mori issues, when it began in 1980 and then on other TV programmes involving Mori-Pkeh relations. He has also written four internationally published childrens books and three New Zealand historical novels aimed at teenagers.In Koha, Marae and the then TVNZ current affairs programme, Frontline, he was involved in making a vast range of Mori-related programming and became an experienced commentator on media aspects of Mori-Pkeh relations. He and TVNZ Head of Mori Programmes, Ernie Leonard, received a Highly Commended certificate in the 1991 New Zealand Media Peace Awards for writing and presenting Pnui, a weekly Marae segment analysing print media treatment of Mori subjects.In TV and Te Tiriti, Leslie gives his perspective on such key aspects of our history as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and The New Zealand Wars, without attempting to re-tell in fine detail ground already well covered by existing excellent histories. Instead he creates an overview of what went badly wrong in New Zealands bicultural race relations and what has since been achieved in redressing some of the earliest and worst failures. After analysing why this happened, he looks to what he believes should be a promising future.His book highlights the significance of film and television in the Mori protest movement from the 1960s on, why TV has improved understanding of Mori tikanga and grievances, and how much New Zealanders biracial attitudes have matured as a result. Key print and digital resources for those seeking more in-depth knowledge are listed at the end of this volume.