Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Image credit: Lottie Hedley

Ever the Land (New Zealand, 2015, 93 min.) 

In the Te Urewara forests of northern New Zealand, the fiercely independent Tūhoe Maori tribe undertakes the building of a grand new meeting hall using radically sustainable methods. 

Their “Living Building” embodies the community’s deep and respectful relationship with their land and the persistence of their culture in the face of brutal colonization.

Ever the Land engages with Tūhoe’s project at manifold levels – from labor squabbles to bedtime stories to the negotiations with the national government – showing the centrality of the environment to Maori tradition. Directed by Sarah Grohnert and produced by Alex Behse.

Followed by a Mãori Cultural Dance and Haka by TE TINI A MAUI.

Part of the 2016 Environmental Film Festival at NMNH